tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71859818028636996882024-03-18T02:48:00.588-07:00O Beauty Unattempted!The Blog of Emily C. A. Snyder ~ Author, Director, Educator | www.emilycasnyder.info | @emilycasnyderEmily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-18141680700735962282018-05-01T15:37:00.000-07:002018-05-01T16:00:55.977-07:00Where Is Emily Blogging Now?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
In case you missed it, I'm blogging over on Patheos now as the <i><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/popfeminist/">Pop Feminist</a>!</i> Taking on the intersection of art, faith, pop culture and feminism.<br />
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If you've enjoyed my articles here, make sure to <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/popfeminist/">subscribe</a> to get all the latest updates!<br />
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See ya there,<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdhLdhe43Q5o6IblFAa2TzqprMpcHULM7UjbaQVKt-2ihx2tKLeOWqHdPS8Fuo_s3WdcrlHlheoTdzd-CJrurgDmTYlDeEfDumAD4MUk_eUVz69SxqaKh47byTHl4NDQ6vG0tRF696dZt/s1600/pop+feminist+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="40" data-original-width="420" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdhLdhe43Q5o6IblFAa2TzqprMpcHULM7UjbaQVKt-2ihx2tKLeOWqHdPS8Fuo_s3WdcrlHlheoTdzd-CJrurgDmTYlDeEfDumAD4MUk_eUVz69SxqaKh47byTHl4NDQ6vG0tRF696dZt/s320/pop+feminist+logo.png" width="320" /></a>EmilyEmily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com79tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-44416179656174180862018-03-27T08:23:00.001-07:002018-03-27T09:11:20.346-07:00TEATIME TEN: Jessica Grey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kG3o_Wx5c_P-9evQQ9raqam0u2ShcZl0-bIEsD9sL3eydjzEiEHG0jPhIoUiXAmjV4HVBwl0nPaMYAfIovtYNLwflofs-2U5mfOlBSC5uUdl2odrr19aLU_ZC1nFeZALIbCAX_xi3qq4/s1600/J+Grey+photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="478" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kG3o_Wx5c_P-9evQQ9raqam0u2ShcZl0-bIEsD9sL3eydjzEiEHG0jPhIoUiXAmjV4HVBwl0nPaMYAfIovtYNLwflofs-2U5mfOlBSC5uUdl2odrr19aLU_ZC1nFeZALIbCAX_xi3qq4/s320/J+Grey+photo.PNG" width="320" /></a><span class="im"></span><span class="im">Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have the wonderful <a href="http://www.authorjessicagrey.com/">Jessica Grey</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Avowed-Companion-Story-Fairytale-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0796JMZN6"><i>Avowed</i></a>, and a whole host of other awesome <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Grey/e/B0075XZ17M">books</a>!</span><br />
<span class="im"></span><br />
<span class="im"><b><b>BOOK GIVE AWAY! </b></b>Comment to win one free copy of any of Jessica's novels! <u>Make sure</u> your email is associated with your user name, so that we can contact you.<b><b> </b></b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>1) Tell us a little bit about yourself since we last chatted!</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>Hi
Emily and Emily's readers! Thank you so much for having me! The last we
chatted was a looooong time ago. Since then some author friends and I
have put out a six book series of holiday-themed Jane Austen novellas
(each book contains an adaption of each of the six full Austen novels
based around that particular holiday). This was a CRAZY, insane,
ridiculous, exhausting, and fun project that took us two and a half
years. Oh and a whole bunch of life stuff and not enough writing as also
happened, but I think that's always the case.<span class="im"><br /><br /><b>2) What's your latest publication about?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"></span>My
most recent publication is <i>Avowed: A Companion Story to the Fairytale
Trilogy</i>. This is a 30k novella that's historical to my Fairytale series.
It can be read alone(ish), but if you read the first two books of the
Fairytale Series you will enjoy it more. Unlike my novels, it doesn't
have the happiest of endings as it's about star-crossed lovers (Violet
and Beorn who happen to be fae). I hate myself, truly. <br />
<span class="im"><br /><b>3) What inspired you to write it?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>Several
readers asked me about Violet's and Beorn's history - their history is
alluded to in <i>Atone</i>, the second book. I had a general outline of what
happened to them in mind when I wrote Atone, but I wanted to explore it
more fully. I think their story also compliments the upcoming third and
final book in the series, <i>Aspire: A Fairytale</i>. We get to see a little
bit of the conflict in the Fae Realm that is about to affect the modern
day Human Realm in Aspire. I usually write a mix of modern world and
fantasy and this was pretty straight up fantasy, so getting the change
to work in a semi-new genre was enticing as well. <br />
<span class="im"><br /><b>4) What was the hardest part of the book to write?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>All
of it. It was terrible. Several times I wondered why in the world I was
breaking my own heart writing it. Actually, I wrote the end - the very
last scene - first. Then I had to go backward and make not only the
characters fall in love, but also make sure I could still be in love
with both of them in spite of their sad end.<span class="im"><br /><br /><b>5) What's your favorite part of the writing process?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>FINISHING.
You cannot beat a finish. I also like that heady, high-on-a new-idea
feeling you get at the start of the project...before the dark times,
before reality sets in. And then the finishing. The middle part where
they actual work takes place is usually a lot of tears and Starbucks and
questioning why I do these things to myself. <br />
<span class="im"><br /><b>6) What was your journey to publishing like?</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vcu699eqoYISG6H0Efpg8sRz66KuH9WVuthPa-UKEfjT214ibcWLAj94Bx5hwPjXHD8xNXBZMny51TN0ICwelIUxUdUdrux9okCCiwEK5WvfEjjJCX1Bz_XOvYhmzywMwyX2hMRfbe5O/s1600/AvowedCover-Kindle1600x2400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vcu699eqoYISG6H0Efpg8sRz66KuH9WVuthPa-UKEfjT214ibcWLAj94Bx5hwPjXHD8xNXBZMny51TN0ICwelIUxUdUdrux9okCCiwEK5WvfEjjJCX1Bz_XOvYhmzywMwyX2hMRfbe5O/s400/AvowedCover-Kindle1600x2400.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>I
didn't really have what I would consider a "journey" to publishing. I
never really contemplated getting traditionally published. Almost
nothing about it appealed to me, and there was a lot that didn't.
Particularly having no control over my covers, that just boggled my mind
- and still does!<br />
I actually started a blog (now on permanent hiatus
unless I find myself independently wealthy and the owner of a time
turner) to support indie Jane Austen writers because I read a book
called Charlotte Collins by Jennifer Becton and LOVED it. Jennifer was
always super open and honest about self publishing and full of great
tips (her site <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://bectonliterary.com&source=gmail&ust=1522249845193000&usg=AFQjCNFGEEQ4Vv7yJSU5JaYuCi6svDMlXQ" href="http://bectonliterary.com/" target="_blank">bectonliterary.com</a> always has fantastic info) and I was encouraged by her journey to try self publishing.<br />
<br />
<i>Awake:
A Fairytale</i> was my first completed novel and I went ahead and published
it. There's things I would change looking back...and things I'm glad I
didn't know not to do cause they worked fine! I am a better writer and
publisher now, but it's been an adventure so far. <br />
<br />
(Side note: when
putting together the <i>Holidays with Jane</i> collections I KNEW I wanted
Jennifer Becton involved and for totally unknown reasons she said yes
and her stories are amazeballs.)<span class="im"><br /><br /><b>7) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>This
is where I am supposed to say "Write! Write every day and perfect your
craft!" I'm so not going to say it because I do not write anywhere near
every day. I would say my number one tip for authors is to figure out
what you want and why. WHY are you writing? WHY do you want to publish?
And then go the heck after it. Everyone has different motivators. And
honestly, sometimes our motivations change. Pick some reasons, put them
up where you can see them - make a pretty little inspo board if that
rings your bell, if it doesn't put a sticky note on your laptop -
whatever works for you. And then go after those goals. <br />
<span class="im"><b><br />8) You wake up to find yourself in a fairy tale. Which one do you hope it is and what role are you playing?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>I
love fairy tales, but most of them are horrible beyond belief. I
wouldn't want to be the lead in any single fairy tale that I can think
of. I would, however, like to be a fairy godmother. But only for a
limited run. Appearing this week only - Jess as Fairy Godmother. I can
imagine that granting wishes to people would get tiring after a few
days, especially they’re really stupid wishes and you can’t offer
helpful life advice.<span class="im"><br /><br /><b>9) You find yourself with an entire day with the means and time to treat yo'self. What does your day look like?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>I
am going to Disneyland with all my frieeeeeends! This is not a joke, I
would totally do this. And I would get all my friends dressed up and
take pretty pictures at Disneyland with them all fancy-like, because I
seriously wish I had lovely pictures of me and all my girls up on my
walls. Then I would eat my way through the parks. Some food on my
agenda: churros, Dole Whip, breakfast at the Main Street Cafe, kabobs at
the Bengal BBQ, head on over to CA Adventure for soup in sourdough
bowls...this is what I plan to eat before <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_108729917" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">11 am.</span></span> We haven't even begun to discuss dinner which will be at the Blue Bayou and fantastic. <br />
Stretchy pants will be required.<span class="im"><br /><br /><b>10) What's up next creatively for you?</b></span><br />
<span class="im"><b> </b></span>Next
up I am finishing and publishing <i>Aspire</i>, the last book <i>The Fairytale
Trilogy</i>. Then I get to finish work on <i>Sun, Moon, and Stars</i> which is my
take on the fairy tale "Allerleirauh or All Kinds of Fur." I’m super
excited to get to work on it as it’s been hanging around in my head for
years upon years.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH90iPUPMn79_WG_1Oz1fswvAWqIK5_eWb5Db4_nK6WOJ18u7vViOmKcE7Ke8wvO8D0z4iNmydWBOR38kjhqOhnBScJ2-d43amltD1rOI5FMR9OyCd6HMK4H6LFqzvoVawpnSwavTJlO92/s1600/teatimeten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="370" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH90iPUPMn79_WG_1Oz1fswvAWqIK5_eWb5Db4_nK6WOJ18u7vViOmKcE7Ke8wvO8D0z4iNmydWBOR38kjhqOhnBScJ2-d43amltD1rOI5FMR9OyCd6HMK4H6LFqzvoVawpnSwavTJlO92/s320/teatimeten.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: </b><br />
Connect with Jessica on<b> </b><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicagrey">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/_JessicaGrey">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/thatgreygirl">Instagram</a>. Check out her official website <a href="http://www.authorjessicagrey.com/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-72628410253613811472018-03-13T23:20:00.000-07:002018-03-13T23:22:46.759-07:00TEATIME TEN: Jenny Lyn Bader<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72hsaVrUF4E67RRHvhoP9fZOAvUAOksTTvWBzqRtAdpj4zpli34CSw24dTcAAK2Y6v4rMEwofrpTnONti149SI5MCkfFeAWuMbxI8hpeQh1Qqjp_fa2PsMVzKw-I1dWxxcVm5fqkUPaMg/s1600/Jenny+Lyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72hsaVrUF4E67RRHvhoP9fZOAvUAOksTTvWBzqRtAdpj4zpli34CSw24dTcAAK2Y6v4rMEwofrpTnONti149SI5MCkfFeAWuMbxI8hpeQh1Qqjp_fa2PsMVzKw-I1dWxxcVm5fqkUPaMg/s320/Jenny+Lyn.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we get to host the witty and prolific playwright <a href="http://www.jennylynbader.com/">Jenny Lyn Bader</a>, whose work has been featured by <a href="http://www.turntoflesh.org/productions.html">Turn to Flesh Productions</a>, and whose latest venture brings performance...right into your ear! Check it out!</span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1) Do you have any plays running in New York
right now that we can see? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Oddly enough, I have one running that you can
hear<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a “phoneplay” called <i>The International Local </i> on
the app <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Subway Plays</i>. It’s designed
to be listened to on the 7 train between Times Square and Jackson Heights. The
whole thing, roundtrip, runs about an hour. The app also includes plays by two
other playwrights, Jessie Bear and Colin Waitt, set respectively on the N and
the L lines. It’s self-scheduled, so you don’t have to make a certain
curtain time, and “intermission” can take as long as you want. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2) If it’s on an
app, I can also just listen to it at home, right? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Of course after you’ve downloaded the app you can
listen anywhere, but to get the full sensory and site-specific experience, you
probably want to be on the appropriate train line. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3) Writing a “phoneplay” must present some
unique challenges… What was the hardest part?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The director, Erin Mee, asked me to make the play
reversible, so people could listen to one act on their trip from Manhattan to
Queens, and then hear the second act coming back – but those with the reverse
route could listen to it in the opposite order. That was a tough problem to
solve. I turned to dramatic literature for answers but found none. Historically
there have been dramatic structures where scenes could be scrambled into
different orders, or where stories went in reverse, but nothing notable where
two halves of a play could just “flip.” So I had to play with time a little. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4) What's your favorite part of the writing
process?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When it feels like words are writing themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5) What was your journey to publishing/production
like?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Like driving a sputtering bicycle through a field
of land mines. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Make sure you have air in the bicycle tires
before setting off. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7) Any tips for
playwrights?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Read your play out loud and play all the roles.
When I was at the O’Neill Center they had the playwrights do that at the
beginning of the development process, in front of a roomful of theatre
professionals. But you can do it anywhere, in front of anyone. And it’s
illuminating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8) You've been granted the ability to solve all
the world's problems, but you must do so in one word. What's the magic
word? And why?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Listen. Without listening, human beings can
develop completely deranged views of one another. So many have lost the
capacity to do it. And it is so desperately needed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">9) A line of dialogue you wrote today is now the
title of your memoir. Justify.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">"With the technology we have, spontaneity
can be scheduled!" Of course that whole line would make a terrible title
but I can see the phrase “scheduled spontaneity” being included in a longer
one—e.g., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paradoxes: A memoir of
intuitive logic, scheduled spontaneity, and conscious subconscious moments. </i>Because
I love it when opposites turn out not to be so opposite after all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">10) What's up next for you? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">My short piece about Hannah Arendt, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State
Library, </i>will be performed at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on the morning
of Wednesday, March 21<sup>st</sup> in the festival </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.womenartsmediacoalition.org/untold"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Untold
Stories of Jewish Women</span></i></a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’m in the early research phase of a
new project with This is Not a Theatre Company, this one set at a certain New
York City landmark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course I’m
always finishing all the scripts I’ve started… and re-starting the ones I
finished.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt1SKZQjsmWMEFKO5sth8XhcC_Yz-WrYbAQnoOiKbml0Up_ocl-wntyRfqUO_Kw1dKI6WykzWVJ3TdJABMJwV002QyFFJbbLuk9KnsY5149ERPoAo-getw-FrtHUHgdOrPY89HweH5ogS/s1600/teatimeten.bmp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="370" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt1SKZQjsmWMEFKO5sth8XhcC_Yz-WrYbAQnoOiKbml0Up_ocl-wntyRfqUO_Kw1dKI6WykzWVJ3TdJABMJwV002QyFFJbbLuk9KnsY5149ERPoAo-getw-FrtHUHgdOrPY89HweH5ogS/s320/teatimeten.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: </b><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">Connect with Jenny Lyn on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://twitter.com/JennyLynBader"><span style="background: white; color: #3194a9; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;"> or </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennylynstagram/"><span style="background: white; color: #3194a9; text-decoration: none;">Instagram</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">Stay up to date on
her official website </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.jennylynbader.com/"><span style="background: white; color: #3194a9; text-decoration: none;">here</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">.</span> <span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">Find Out How to Get Subway Plays </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.thisisnotatheatrecompany.com/subway-play"><span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">.</span></div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-20746522729956783082018-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:002018-03-06T13:49:05.555-08:00TEATIME TEN: Laura Pittenger<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have the wonderful <a href="http://www.laurapittenger.com/">Laura Pittenger</a>, playwright and novelist, author of <a href="https://www.youthplays.com/play/pride-and-prejudice-abridged-by-laura-pittenger-476&ref=search.php%3Fquicksearchbox%3Dpride%2Band%2Bprejudice"><i>Pride and Prejudiced Abridged</i></a>.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrto4Nf67TsmMiRRD8y0x8xBnF3isF2ekhagRRBXkE8GChsm4d2yFzDBO9v2LQqYKe1MvmbWO_c04nsOtBEOtjxZKDJeTU3LhuVJnxwF8NbbEjw08pCLK9T77ZIxtCxiYc-NN7MvneMrM/s1600/Laura+Pittenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrto4Nf67TsmMiRRD8y0x8xBnF3isF2ekhagRRBXkE8GChsm4d2yFzDBO9v2LQqYKe1MvmbWO_c04nsOtBEOtjxZKDJeTU3LhuVJnxwF8NbbEjw08pCLK9T77ZIxtCxiYc-NN7MvneMrM/s640/Laura+Pittenger.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1) Tell
us a little bit about yourself!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">'m a playwright, director, and a serious, committed goofball. I was born
and raised in Indiana and moved to New York in 2012 after graduating from Ball
State with a theater degree. You can check out <a href="http://www.laurapittenger.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.laurapittenger.com</span></a>
for the full skinny! In my free time I like to read Russian novels, watch
British baking television and explore the city with good friends. I also like
to travel - past favorites include Alaska, Montreal, London, Boston, Acadia
National Park, and the Badlands. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">2) What's
your latest publication about?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pride and Prejudice Abridged, now
available at YouthPLAYS. Synopsis (which most people probably know
already!): <span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Witty and carefree
Elizabeth Bennet despises the haughty Mr. Darcy—a wealthy, proud newcomer to
her small English village. Her sister Jane Bennet, so shy she becomes mute
around men, falls for Darcy’s best friend, the wildly outgoing Mr. Bingley.
Will the Bennet sisters’ scheming mother be spurned in her efforts to ensnare
rich husbands for her daughters? Who will Elizabeth fall for: her weaselly
preacher cousin, the smooth and seductive Mr. Wickham, or maybe even her worst
enemy—Mr. Darcy? We don’t have all day to find out! Bonnets fly. Cravats
are loosened. You don't want to miss it. </span><b></b><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3) What
inspired you to write it?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I took a
course on Jane Austen's major works in the honors college, and we were asked to
do a short creative project at the end of the term. Pride and Prejudice
Abridged was a natural bridge between my love for literature and theater, and
who knew a school project would one day end up published?!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4) What
was the hardest part of the book to write?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Definitely
cutting the text down to 15 minutes is one of the hardest adaptation challenges
I've ever had. It's a huge book, but believe it or not, you can cut out
characters and plotlines to the bare essentials, which I have done. Anything
you read there, it exists because the story falls apart without it. It's as
basic as the story can get without me adding anything, besides a few very silly
jokes. <b></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5) What's
your favorite part of the writing process?</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKMzpuZ2AtLWpeQhvOdiXPaM7qoy3M3Ndi_-qXtq9Ffd0wozVCduJJ23mN9lHEpYljt-a18dtbBnqqJ26bsIiyibE0N7aASYPOBgG9uyCZmTShjWjiuzDh-uA8PcTWeZNM3XWeKIaWg-l/s1600/pandp+laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="562" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKMzpuZ2AtLWpeQhvOdiXPaM7qoy3M3Ndi_-qXtq9Ffd0wozVCduJJ23mN9lHEpYljt-a18dtbBnqqJ26bsIiyibE0N7aASYPOBgG9uyCZmTShjWjiuzDh-uA8PcTWeZNM3XWeKIaWg-l/s400/pandp+laura.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I love that moment when the
energy is flowing and the text is just swimming along magically. It's hard to
put into words, but it's like time stops existing. Before you know it it's
bedtime. I also love handing it off to a close friend and hearing where they
laugh. I love making people laugh.<b></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6) What
was your journey to publishing like?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I had a couple people tell me how
hilarious the piece was, and my colleague suggested I submit the piece to
YouthPLAYS, thinking it might be a good fit for a youth market (middle-high
school or college). After a few months, they got in touch and said they'd be
happy to publish it as a standalone piece! It's my first published play in its
own binding, so I couldn't be happier.<b></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">7) Do you
have any tips for would-be authors?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Even if an idea seems silly, if
it made you laugh, try it out. Feel free to fail in the privacy of your own
computer or notebook. Odds are someone else finds you funny, too. Also, I write
almost exclusively for myself. I'm happy that other people seem to respond to
it, and I take outside feedback very seriously, but at the end of the day, if I
don't like it, I won't work on it. I write things I wish someone else would
write for me. <b></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">8) You're
walking through Central Park, when suddenly you hear your name being
called. It's a very famous composer who invites you to join his/her tea
for an hour. Who are you talking to and what do you talk about?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Oh, man, that's a rough question.
I would want to spend an hour with Mozart, who hopefully speaks English in this
scenario. I say that because I have the feeling that I might actually cross
paths with Lin Manuel Miranda or Dave Malloy one day and therefore I don't want
to waste this hypothetical conversation on someone alive and living in my city.
Anyway - I'd ask him if he ever saw the movie Amadeus and whether there was any
accuracy to the rumors about Salieri. I have so many questions. I'd also ask
him what goes through his head as he's writing and what he dreams about. He'd
probably find the line of questioning a bit invasive, though, so I'd be happy
to sit in silence, too. As long as the tea is good. That's probably a motto for
my life. Will try anything as long as the tea is good.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">9) You're
woken up in the middle of the night by one of your characters calling you
through a magic door. Who are you adventuring with and where do you
go? And how do you get back?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I'd let the little heroine of my
novel, Aleksandra, take me to her Moscow in 1872. There's so much I don't know
about it. But she'd probably insist we go somewhere exciting like Paris or St.
Petersburg. I'd be happy to accompany her by rail across Europe. Maybe we would
encounter my other favorite fictional protagonist, the elusive Phileas Fogg, as
he traveled round the world in 80 days going the opposite direction. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">10)
What's up next creatively for you?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Speaking of the novel...yep. I
also have a full length play written that I'm looking to stage or get a reading
done. Lots of writing projects right now, none that I can talk about. If you
want to hear more I also just did an interview for <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?hide_cover=1&mini=1&feed=%2FPawlingPublicRadio%2Fart-chat-laura-pittenger-february-24-2018%2F">Art Chat inWestchester</a>! </span></div>
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<b>CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: </b><br />
Connect with Laura on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/laura.a.pittenger/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/lapittenger">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lapittenger/">Instagram</a>. Check out her official website <a href="http://www.laurapittenger.com/">here</a>. </div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-28018383530929568992018-03-04T22:48:00.000-08:002018-03-04T23:05:07.701-08:00Art and the Artist: Can We Like Anything After #MeToo?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMshFJ5_-4viuhMefpIzXNibAAnSZWbs5ab-VYfv6Bh9a_o1Wi1hnTGuRDtWv3e1ISu1fyTLsCu0dQdixX1g8vFbkRI5g-etIl8FPgT6GNRKK2G_TtBiS9rApFSJz4MjtxEIHudybKt1Yq/s1600/Predators+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMshFJ5_-4viuhMefpIzXNibAAnSZWbs5ab-VYfv6Bh9a_o1Wi1hnTGuRDtWv3e1ISu1fyTLsCu0dQdixX1g8vFbkRI5g-etIl8FPgT6GNRKK2G_TtBiS9rApFSJz4MjtxEIHudybKt1Yq/s320/Predators+01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L) Joss Whedon, creator of <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i><br />
(TR) Dan Harmon, creator of <i>Community</i>(BR) Woody Allen, filmmaker, <i>auteur</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Early last year, before #MeToo broke, I woke up one day to see a distressing headline about one of my favorite artists, the self-proclaimed feminist and creator of <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, Joss Whedon. In an open letter, his wife <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/joss-whedon-feminist-hypocrite-infidelity-affairs-ex-wife-kai-cole-says/">Kai Cole</a> shared the painful details of their split, including his admission of multiple counts of both emotional and sexual infidelity throughout their marriage.<br />
<br />
As Cole <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/joss-whedons-ex-wife-warns-hes-a-hypocrite-preaching-feminist-ideals-in-revealing-essay_us_599ad248e4b01f6e801fa06c">shares</a> from Whedon's farewell letter to her:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When I was running ‘Buffy,’" [Whedon writes], "I was
surrounded by beautiful, needy, aggressive young women. It felt like I
had a disease, like something from a Greek myth. Suddenly I am a
powerful producer and the world is laid out at my feet...I let myself love you. I stopped worrying about the contradiction. As a
guilty man I knew the only way to hide was to act as though I were
righteous. And as a husband, I wanted to be with you like we had been. I
lived two lives."</blockquote>
While I was puzzling out my emotional reaction to this news, I was in the middle of a Season 7 <i>Buffy</i> rewatch. Suddenly, almost every episode rang like a confession: especially scenes that I knew Joss had written or touched up.<br />
<br />
The one-two punch of the first two S7 episodes, "Lessons" and "Beneath You," show just this dichotomy in action. Whereas "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTtwZkNOYn0">Lessons</a>" concludes with what might be the predator's mantra: <b>"It's not about right. It's not about wrong. It's about power,"</b> the following episode, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JzYulA_3pQ">Beneath You</a>," ends with a remarkable Whedon-penned scene that rambles between laying the blame of sexual assault and accompanying guilt on God, on the soul, on the object of affection and finally concluding with the image of the vampire burning while embracing the cross and asking: <b>"Can't we all just rest now, Buffy?"</b><br />
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<br />
The answer, of course, is no, no - there is no resting in this valley of tears. And if you want to make amends, you have to do the work. Joss Whedon's letter to his wife felt like Spike's rambling soliloquy in "Beneath You:" Joss had screwed up, Joss had admitted as much - wasn't being found out punishment enough? <i>Can't we all just rest now?</i><br />
<br />
<b>The Artist, The Art & The Audience</b><br />
<br />
As powerful men have fallen these past few months, one of the questions that has resonated is whether we're allowed to <i>like</i> any of the art they created.<b> </b>In one camp, we have the argument that the art is not the artist, and so we are free to enjoy the art and let the law deal with the man. However, others feel - particularly when it comes to artists whose misconduct has been<i> </i>egregious (Cosby, Polanski, etc.) - that it is morally unethical to support any of their body of work, even in retrospect.<br />
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<br />
I would argue that no matter which camp you fall into, the questions we are actually trying to unravel are:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ol>
<li>What degree of the creator's moral (or immoral) DNA is entwined with the art itself; and</li>
<li>What in the art are we, the audience, responding to...and is that worth preserving?</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<b>Influencing the Art</b><br />
<br />
Different disciplines of art will naturally include more or less of the artist's DNA in it. A novel, piece of fine art, or musical composition will arise largely from a single source, while the performative arts, such as theatre, TV and film are collaborative by nature. <br />
<br />
Thus, while Joss Whedon was the creative force behind <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, there was a whole host of other writers, producers, directors, and actors' input to help shape each season. Joss' fingerprint is evident, but is not all. For example, it's known that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marti_Noxon">Marti Noxon</a> took over as show runner for <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/03/buffy-season-6-anniversary-warren-jonathan-andrew">seasons six and seven</a> of the show, while Joss was focused on developing <i>Firefly</i>.<br />
<br />
The collaborative nature - and thus distancing or mitigating effect of one particular artist's influence on a project - is even more evident, for example, in <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories">Harvey Weinstein</a>-produced Miramax films. Largely the role of producer is as gatekeeper, not artistic auteur. Hence, for a Miramax film such as Jane Austen's <i>Emma</i>, very little of Weinstein's personal predations will be immediately evident.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">No obvious influence, except, of course, for telling every 90's girl that she better be blonde and teeny to be worth anything.</span></center>
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<br />
<b>The Auteur Effect</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
In the cases of highly collaborative art, then, it may be easier to
still enjoy the art itself, while still being critical of any downfalls.<br />
<br />
But what about <i>auteurs</i>? In these cases, the director is also the writer is also, often, the producer, beholden to no one but his own vision.<i> </i>Comedians fall into this category, which is why revelations about <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/07/19/bill-cosby-new-york-times-drugging-women/30388139/">Bill Cosby</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/arts/television/louis-ck-sexual-misconduct.html">Louis CK</a> can come as such a shock. In some ways, at least Louis CK was always upfront about his downfalls: much of his stand-up centered around masturbation. Are we then surprised to discover he was telling the truth? Bill Cosby's legacy is more pernicious: where was the evidence of the monster in the wholesome<i> Cosby Show</i>, or in any of his comedy routines? The fact that he could be a "smiling, smiling damned villain" <i>hurts</i>.<br />
<br />
For many, myself included, the overt, grossly sexualized material of Louis CK turned me off to his work before details about his personal life and sexual misconduct came out. The loss of his comedy didn't affect me. However, I find that the duplicity of Bill Cosby's conduct, as well as the horrific allegations of drugging and raping women, disgust me on such a personal level that I've even excised any reference to his stand up comedy from my conversation. Others might have a different reaction: capable of still enjoying either comedian's work, safe in the knowledge that both men are undergoing punishment for their sexual misconduct and assault. <br />
<br />
But what, then, are we to do with the predators still at large? Who are still profiting from our dollars, while flaunting their criminal fetishes on the screen? Which is to say:<br />
<br />
<b>What About Woody?</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
Although Woody Allen has never been officially condemned by a court of law, the <i>auteur </i>has repeatedly and consistently been accused of molesting his own daughter, Dylan Farrow, when she was aged seven (content warning: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeM9WF-f_M4">video</a>). Further exploration into Allen's personal journals and movie notes, housed at the University of Princeton, reveals a man who unequivocally fetishizes sexual interactions with underage women (content warning: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-read-decades-of-woody-allens-private-notes-hes-obsessed-with-teenage-girls/2018/01/04/f2701482-f03b-11e7-b3bf-ab90a706e175_story.html?utm_term=.dbbd1a3c62f7">article</a>). Add onto this his public affair, and eventual marriage to adopted daughter, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/05/04/the_most_disturbing_thing_woody_allen_has_ever_said_about_his_wife_soon.html">Soon-Yi Previn</a>, and we have a pretty good idea of the man himself.<br />
<br />
But does this same predatory predilection show up in Allen's artwork? Well, yes. Yes, it does. From <i>Manhattan</i> (video above) through to his banal current material, such as <i>To Rome, With Love </i>(video below), we see this same fetishizing, either starring Allen directly or through one of his many on-screen doppelgängers. Which is to say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We don't have to look for the man behind the curtain. He's getting away with it, and grinning in our face.</blockquote>
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<br />
So much for answering our <b>first question:</b> how much of Woody Allen's moral DNA is mixed up with much of his work? The answer: quite a bit. His films celebrates his fetish, and even makes excuses for it, vindicating his behavior.<br />
<br />
Since, famously, Allen has been working outside the traditional film industry - writing, directing, and producing his own work (Allen releases one new film a year), the content of his stories reflects his single point of view, unmitigated by producers or financeers. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
What is more, since Allen largely finances his films through ticket sales and residuals from his extensive body of work, <b>his success is the result of our literally buying what he's selling. </b>Which begs the question: just what are we buying?</blockquote>
<b>The Active Audience</b><br />
<br />
<i>Hamlet </i>famously says that the purpose of art is to "hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature." That is, the purpose of art is to help us look inside our own souls. We are not merely passive consumers of art, hypnotized by glowing screens. In many ways art is <i>completed</i> by the audience. The Marquis de Sade's novel harms none but himself until someone else reads it. Even the Bible is just a paperweight unless it's opened up. However, one man may read the Marquis of Sade and be so disgusted that he turns to God; while we have ample evidence of people reading the Bible and putting it back unconvinced.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Which is to say: the art and even the artist themselves are only two parts of the equation. The third part is our own <i>response</i> to the art itself.</blockquote>
<br />
So, when we ask the question whether we can enjoy a piece of art anymore -
particularly when we learn that the art was borne of a predatory artist -
we are actually reevaluating our own part in the art itself. We are
reevaluating our relationship to both the art and the artist. We are reevaluating our worldview to the world. <b>We are <i>criticizing</i> the art, rather than just <i>consuming</i> it.</b><br />
<br />
Witness David Klion's excellent article at Jewish Currents, examining his own formation in "<a href="http://jewishcurrents.org/unlearning-woody-allen/">Unlearning Woody Allen</a>." For Klion, the nebbish hero who talks down to women and thereby gains both the girl <i>and </i>a smug feeling of superiority <i>is</i>
part of what he cherished about Allen's films. As Klion writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<span style="font-weight: 400;">Renouncing Woody Allen is painful for
many of us not just because we enjoy his work, but because it feels like
renouncing a part of ourselves. It also feels cheap, because there’s no
point in renouncing him if we can’t also renounce the part of us that
finds his characters relatable. We need to take a closer look at the
films that taught us to be this way, and to consider what else they
taught us."</span></blockquote>
Such critical thinking may lessen the pure enjoyment of a piece of art for a time, but may preserve the importance of the art as well. After all, what's that about those who do not study their history being doomed to repeat it? It's not enough that we wake up, culturally; it's equally important to shine a light on our darkness, rather than burying it further.<br />
<br />
<b>Money, Money</b><br />
<br />
That does not mean, however, that we necessarily need to finance more of Woody Allen's work, or any other known or suspected abuser. Some have suggested that all the royalties from Woody Allen's films should be rerouted to his victims, which sounds noble in theory but is dangerous in practice. If Woody Allen's pockets are lined, it's because <i>we</i> lined them. We liked something in his work, resonated for good or ill, and his success is because of <i>our</i> support. It's important to own that fact.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You get the art you pay for.</blockquote>
Copyright law is copyright law. Intellectual property, even if that intellect is questionable, is still the property of the individual. However, should Allen or any other abuser come into a court of law, it would be perfectly fine to order them to pay a certain amount to their victims as partial reparation - payments which would likely be culled from those same royalties.<br />
<br />
However, I believe that when we wish a certain artist's profits to be given to someone other than the artist, what we're really looking for is a way to exonerate our own part in the artist's success. If I know that I can see Allen's new film, and that my $15 won't go to line his pocket, perhaps I can enjoy the film without my conscience bothering me. But that simply isn't the case. As audience members we have to take responsibility for what we seek out and why; who we pay and whether we really want to consume what they're feeding us.<br />
<br />
<b>The Penitent Artist</b><br />
<br />
In a rare turn, there has been at least one creator who - rather than cowardly ducking out of his marriage like Whedon, or glorying in his atrocities such as Allen - has actually confessed and apologized for his own actions. This past January, writer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/arts/dan-harmon-megan-ganz.html">Megan Ganz acccused Dan Harmon</a>, the creator of the cult TV show, <i>Community</i>, of unwanted advances during their time working together.<b> </b><br />
<br />
In
a pattern we've seen repeated among men with power, Harmon developed an
unwelcome crush on one of his staff writers, Ganz. When she continued
to refuse him, chiding him for treating her differently, he began to
punish her instead, ultimately leading to some psychological trauma for
the writer. In a public Twitter exchange this past January, Ganz called
out Harmon to come clean about his own part, which he did in a <a href="http://time.com/5100019/dan-harmon-megan-ganz-sexual-harassment-apology/">lengthy apology</a> on his podcast.<br />
<br />
In
a remarkable turn, Harmon specifically details every mistake he made,
every poor decision, every terrible act. He shines a light on his own
darkness, and even offers this light to his listeners, concluding: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I want you to be the one to examine this and every step of the way
decide for yourself where I’m making mistakes. I don’t want to explain
to you what I’ve learned. I want you to look at this and I want it to
sound relatively unremarkable to you, because that’s the danger... </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I lied to myself the entire time about it. And I lost my job. I
ruined my show. I betrayed the audience. I destroyed everything and I
damaged her internal compass. And I moved on....</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I did it by not thinking about it and I got away with it by not
thinking about it. And if she hadn’t mentioned something on Twitter, I
would have continued to not have to not think about it...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Because if you don’t think about it, you’re going to get away with not
thinking about it and you can cause a lot of damage that is technically
legal and hurts everybody. </blockquote>
<b>That's Entertainment</b><br />
<br />
So, can we enjoy anything now? Yes, of course we can. Although we may have to learn to enjoy things while also still thinking critically.<br />
<br />
And we can even hope and pray for the artists who make work that troubles us, because while Woody Allen believes that "everything gets corrupted," it's also possible that - to paraphrase Dr. Who - this time, just this once, everybody gets saved. However, it'll take more than a few nice words; more than slumping passively on a crucifix, asking if we can all rest now. It's going to take picking up that cross -<br />
<b><br /></b>
And walking.<b><br /></b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com184tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-53442359231873057982018-03-01T08:19:00.000-08:002018-03-02T21:16:51.981-08:00TEATIME TEN: Teresa Edgerton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2OoF8gwBLN9IqofJT7XCJ59A14MGt4fuAIHjMb1GjuG_3cB5bW5Wt6XJ34pRCviqaY34Uol1ZF_FFK9c95tjRUFoe1vCJbGKjXVDP39cWpG5B0ozrx_ItkHyGn8sho_0N7_SR1GHf7Ma/s1600/Teresa+Edgerton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2OoF8gwBLN9IqofJT7XCJ59A14MGt4fuAIHjMb1GjuG_3cB5bW5Wt6XJ34pRCviqaY34Uol1ZF_FFK9c95tjRUFoe1vCJbGKjXVDP39cWpG5B0ozrx_ItkHyGn8sho_0N7_SR1GHf7Ma/s400/Teresa+Edgerton.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have the wonderful <a href="http://teresaedgertoneditor.com/">Teresa Edgerton</a>, author of many, many, <i>wonderful </i>fantasy novels, including the recently re-released swashbuckling fantasy, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Goblin-Moon-Dagger-Teresa-Edgerton/dp/0992907713"><i>Mask and Dagger Duology</i></a>.<br />
<br />
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<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1) Tell us a
little bit about yourself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve been making up stories as far back as
I can remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed like the
natural thing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents told me
stories, as well as reading to me a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once I was able to read myself,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
seemed to veer toward the fantastic early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although I went through periods where I loved mystery stories, or
historical novels, or romance, I always came back to fantasy eventually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from reading and writing, I love
Christmas, Halloween, and tea parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
used to be rather craft-y, but of late my life has been pretty much consumed by
writing and by freelance editing.</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2) What's your
latest book about?</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">My most recently
published books are the re-issues of Goblin Moon and Hobgoblin Night (aka The
Gnome’s Engine), swashbuckling fantasies in a baroque world inhabited by some
of the usual fantasy races, but time has moved on and they’re all considerably
more cosmopolitan then their medieval counterparts<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a world of secret societies, dastardly
plots, alchemy, magic, bizarre sciences, and … I feel I would be remiss if I
failed to mention it . . . <u>impeccable</u> manners. </span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">My work in progress is the third book in The Rune of Unmaking
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s epic fantasy, set in a
world that has been at war for dozens of years—for some of the characters it
has been more than their entire lifetimes, by a good bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a large cast of main characters who
have all been through a lot, and in this book they go through even more intense
experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a more personal level,
the romance between two of the characters that I know readers have been hoping
to see progress, does progress, but everything else gets a lot harder for them,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Sindérian it’s a time of
transformation; she can never again be the woman she was before, and that’s hard
for her to accept, but maybe she can be something greater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prince Ruan has so many of his certainties
called into question, and he’s not the kind of person who is accustomed to
doubting himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other characters
all face wrenching decisions, too.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3) What inspired
you to write it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Honestly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had made up my mind that I probably wouldn’t be writing any more
medieval type fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In fact, I have
a detailed outline for a sequel to The Queen’s Necklace, set in a period
roughly similar to the French Revolution, which I am determined to come back to
eventually.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then the first movie in
the Lord of the Rings trilogy came out and I was swept back, emotionally,
imaginatively, into that earlier type of setting, and so the Rune of Unmaking
books were born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had also wanted, for
some time, to write a book where one of the themes was redemption, and some of
the ideas from that one worked their way, subconsciously at first, into this
one.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">4) What was the
hardest part of the book to write? </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m at that point now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The series was originally going to be a trilogy, but after I was about
halfway through this book and still had so much left to write, I realized that
what I had on my hands was two books not just one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I am trying to sort out the different
story strands, so that all my main characters have an approximately equal role
in both books, and that’s a bit difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know it can be done, though, and I’m determined.</span></div>
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<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">5) What's your
favorite part of the writing process?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I love all of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creating the characters, discovering the
twists and turns of the plot, the world building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love using words to paint vivid
images.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part is when I am in
the zone and it all flows out so easily, as though someone else is telling me
the story and I’m just writing it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that can happen at any stage, and when I’m working on any part of
the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, equally often, working on
any aspect of the writing, <u>not</u> happen, unfortunately.</span></div>
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<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">6) What was your
journey to publishing like?</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e1aCyOlPB02g6n7OxSdZob11wDOTn3dlA08chq258TfEz-sonAusAw-vqYJFRf8TmJBgAkgYKYfqqcgqyKgeHI-LynBvvF-XtfM55mrR5CiLAAO9dxvd-NRMW3QMf5c5GmRsW2YXgQIY/s1600/Goblin+Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e1aCyOlPB02g6n7OxSdZob11wDOTn3dlA08chq258TfEz-sonAusAw-vqYJFRf8TmJBgAkgYKYfqqcgqyKgeHI-LynBvvF-XtfM55mrR5CiLAAO9dxvd-NRMW3QMf5c5GmRsW2YXgQIY/s400/Goblin+Moon.jpg" width="252" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">All through my childhood, teens, and twenties
I was starting stories and not finishing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then about the time I turned thirty I had a dream which turned into a
story that obsessed me, and I knew I was going to stick with it however long it
took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it happens, I had no idea how
long that it <u>would </u>take, or how much effort it would involve, because
really I knew very little about writing for all my earlier attempts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had known maybe that would have shaken
me and I would have given up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s
when I got serious about learning, and when I feel that I really started
writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six or seven years later, and I
don’t even know how many drafts, my one book had turned into The Green
LionTrilogy, and the first volume was good enough that I felt ready to send it
out to publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I was very
nervous, but I just felt that that particular story had reached a point where
it was as good as I was capable of making it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I sent it out to a publisher, and was rejected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sent it out to another, and was
accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which sounds very easy, and
very lucky (and certainly my timing was good because fantasy was extremely
popular at the time) but where someone else might have worked on several
different projects during those years I devoted myself solely to that one.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">7) Do you have
any tips for would-be authors? </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s going to be a long road ahead, so do concentrate your efforts on
stories that you really want to write, instead of trying to follow the market
or writing short fiction because people tell you that’s the best way to begin
or writing a novel because someone tells you that that is the best way to
begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s going to be a lot of work,
and likely years will pass before you see any reward except the pleasure you
take in what you are doing and in seeing the story unfold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write the story you would most like to read if
somebody else had written it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond
that, read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read fiction, nonfiction,
poetry, whatever interests you, but read, read, read voraciously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can absorb so many lessons about writing
that way, without even realizing it while you are learning them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And especially if you are writing fantasy,
and creating imaginary worlds, it helps enormously the more you know about the
ways in which the real world works.</span></div>
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<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">8) You've been
granted the ability for a five course dinner with one of your heroes...<i>and</i>
one of your villains. Who's coming with you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As to the hero I am a bit torn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the one hand I’d like to invite Raith from
The Queen’s Necklace, because there is still so much that I don’t know about
him and I’d want to ask him a lot of questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But then there is Francis Skelbrooke from Goblin Moon, because … well,
he’s so dashing and romantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would
be a bit shallow to pick on those grounds alone, wouldn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I guess I’ll choose Raith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the villain, the Duchess from Goblin
Moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a terrifically complex
character, and though by our lights she can be evil at times there is also a
great deal of good in her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It depends on
which version of her would show up, but I assume she’d be on her good behavior
over dinner, and at her most charming and entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume I’m the hostess, so I wouldn’t have
to worry about anything dangerous being slipped into the soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">It would be interesting to see how the two of them interact: an Anti-Demonist and a semi-wicked fairy </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">9) Your family
has been given a month long vacation in up to three cities. Where are you
all going and what will you see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">London, because I know John would want to
visit all the museums, and I’m sure I’d find plenty to enjoy there myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d want to see the Royal Ballet while I was
there, and visit lots of bookstores. Venice and Prague because to me they both
seem so magical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we’d both have
a great time visiting little hidden streets and obscure little shops.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">10) What's up
next creativel</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">y for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">After the current
book, then on to the next to finish up the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And after that is done, I hope the Queen’s
Necklace sequel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, as a
side project I’m creating a deck of Tarot cards for Goblin Moon/Hobgoblin
Night.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-82374523678645524112018-02-20T07:57:00.001-08:002018-02-20T08:00:15.720-08:00TEATIME TEN: Zelda Knapp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxc-rxpmBRUqyJYRCTLU9RkraGYh6H0SGFEUurpxVAw5DRt3ZBe2pacW_-korsmV13Z5zCTD-LZOv5W9Mx5cOQoI41z-Kh-uDahewCUmc5OOVEGkJrY4-SpAdTU2L1kk_-kr8qbSw_F1Bg/s1600/Knapp_Zelda+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxc-rxpmBRUqyJYRCTLU9RkraGYh6H0SGFEUurpxVAw5DRt3ZBe2pacW_-korsmV13Z5zCTD-LZOv5W9Mx5cOQoI41z-Kh-uDahewCUmc5OOVEGkJrY4-SpAdTU2L1kk_-kr8qbSw_F1Bg/s400/Knapp_Zelda+final.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have the wonderful <a href="http://www.zeldaknapp.com/">Zelda Knapp</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-What-They-Made-Out-ebook/dp/B00A6GM3DK"><i>This Is What They Made It Out Of: tales from the end of the world</i></a>, theatre critic at <a href="http://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/">A Work Unfinishing</a>, and host of the <i>Buffy</i> and <i>Veronica Mars</i> rewatch, <a href="http://oncemorewithextremeprejudice.blogspot.com/">Once More With Extreme Prejudice</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>BOOK GIVE AWAY! </b>Comment to win one free copy of <i>This Is What They Made It Out Of. </i>Make sure to check back next week to see if you won!<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>1) Tell us a little bit about yourself!</b><br />
<br />
At Derek Delgaudio's show, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://inandofitselfshow.com/%23home&source=gmail&ust=1519227411088000&usg=AFQjCNF1IHk-JN-2fXzGDm7OZZFDgWAvPQ" href="http://inandofitselfshow.com/#home" target="_blank">In & Of Itself</a>,
there's a wall of identity cards in the lobby, and each audience member
is invited to select one. The range is expansive and whimsical,
including things like Bookkeeper, Mother-in-Law, and Unicorn. I chose
Storyteller. I love stories; I love telling a story, and I love being
told one. Part of what I love about live theater is the infinite range
of stories to be told, and the infinite ways to tell them. As a writer,
my love of stories has manifested in an eclectic way - as a creator:
short stories, poetry, and several plays; as an appreciator: a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1519227411088000&usg=AFQjCNEL5108n9gw4kQiVlCL7Wl4KkprFA" href="http://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">theater blog</a>, a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://oncemorewithextremeprejudice.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1519227411088000&usg=AFQjCNEikseJYVpsb1ra-JC4o2N7ETwHGg" href="http://oncemorewithextremeprejudice.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">television blog</a>
with my friend Daniel, and lately I've been collaborating with my
brilliant musicologist father on several articles about musical theater
because we're both tremendous nerds.<br />
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>2) What's your latest book about?</b><br />
<br />
My book, <i>This Is What They Made It Out Of: tales from the end of the world</i>,
is about everything, if you want to get pretentious, but really it's
about small moments and their rippling effects. It's a collection of
short (and shorter) fiction, with a daub of poetry, intended as the
remnants of what we leave behind, when we leave for good. They're
unconnected but the intention is that, taken as a collection, they
create a tapestry of memories and personalities. So I've got missed
connections, relationships and the detritus they leave, and what the
survivors make of the pieces left behind. It's not all as dour as that
sounds (I'm rather fond of the adventures of the ill-fated band, Soul
Kiss, and of what I imagine happens to the Dellacroft Children), and I
like to believe in hope and happy endings, but there's definitely a
melancholy thread throughout the collection. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>3) What was the hardest part of the book to write?</b></div>
<div>
</div>
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
I
have a tendency, in the eleventh hour, to start questioning everything
about what I've done. While this has served me well in the articles with
my dad (catching errors, strengthening arguments), in the case of
getting <i>TIWTMIOO</i>, it led only to more stress. I filled to the
brim with self-doubt about the book's title and asked my cover designer
to show me the three cover contenders with two different titles, before I
finally returned to my original. I'm still happy with it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Oh,
well, also. There's the writing. With a collection, it's not one long
story, but you still want all the pieces to feel like they belong
together. Part of constructing that jigsaw is finding missing pieces and
brooding over how to fill them. That's been the biggest challenge with
my second, not-yet-in-existence book. It's still missing a few limbs.
And possibly its liver.<br />
<br />
<b>4) </b><span class="im"><b>What's your favorite part of the writing process?</b></span> </div>
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span class="im">
</span><br />
<div>
My
fiction pieces usually start with an image or a moment, and ripple out
from there. My favorite part is when I realize what to do with the
starting point, where to go next. I have so many abandoned images, but
the moment of clarity when I see what the possibilities are, and then
when I go there - that's a good moment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also
like landing on the exact right way to express an idea or image - which
sometimes won't show up til the tenth or twelfth or twenty-fifth draft.
This happened quite recently with one of the articles with my dad.
Neither of us were happy with a particular piece of phrasing. The
connotations weren't right, the diction of it wasn't pleasing. Finally
we realized it was the verb that was off, not the adverb, and now it's
perfect. PERFECT, I TELL YOU.<br />
<br />
<b>5) What was your journey to publishing like?</b> </div>
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
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I'd
tried the traditional route, submitting stories to magazines and
journals, but hadn't had much luck. Then I saw that a writer I knew and
admired from the <i>Buffy </i>fanworld, Valerie Z. Lewis (her fanfics
were ridiculous and perfect), had independently published her longer
works as ebooks. And I realized it was as easy as that. Digital
publishing opened the door, like iTunes or YouTube did for other media,
for the written word to get out there at little to no cost to the
creator. That's when I decided I could do that, too, and began
assembling my pieces into a coherent shape.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After countless drafts with the aid of some truly stellar beta readers, I downloaded Dianne L. Durante's book, <i>Step-by-Step Kindle Publishing</i>,
which walked me through the formatting and other steps needed (it's
such a good resource). Then I happened upon a postcard in an art studio
in Chinatown, a gorgeous watercolor design for a playing card face by
artist Danielle Rose Fisher. I reached out to Danielle via her <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://daniellerosefisher.com/&source=gmail&ust=1519227411088000&usg=AFQjCNHyQz4fuJZAivtxOlD3YfE3iQu0fg" href="https://daniellerosefisher.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, and she agreed to design my cover.<br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>6) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</b></span><br />
<br />
Here's
a tip I stole from my dad: write every day. Make everything you write -
emails, notes, instructions - something you write with care and
specificity. That attention will extend into your other, more personal
writing. It's a muscle which needs regular activity</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>7) </b><span class="im"><b> You've been stranded on a desert island, and only have enough paper to
write a couplet for your message in the bottle. What do you write and
who do you hope gets it?</b></span><br />
<br />
I'd steal a Grook from Piet Hein. (I'm cheating twice; it's neither a couplet nor original to me)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"It will steadily shrink,</div>
<div>
our earthly abode,</div>
<div>
until antipode stands</div>
<div>
upon antipode.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then, soles together,</div>
<div>
the planet gone,</div>
<div>
we'll know the ground</div>
<div>
that we rest up."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's
the deal: I don't have the survival skills to last long on a desert
island, so a message asking for help won't save me. I may as well send
out a quiet musing on how the world, through becoming a more
interconnected web of people, is becoming smaller, until all we have
left is us.</div>
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
<b>8) </b><span class="im"><b>You've been given one wish by a fairy godmother. Naturally, you wish
to see one performance. What show are you seeing, who's in it, and why
is it awesome?</b></span><br />
<br />
This is quite possibly the cruelest question I've ever been asked. Just ONE? I think I'll have to go with the original <i>Arcadia</i>, by Tom Stoppard. I saw the revival several times (because Raul Esparza and because <i>Arcadia </i>is
one of the best plays ever) and I'd seen, at the Victoria & Albert
archives, a video of the original production, but it wasn't the original
cast. I'd love to see Emma Fielding as Thomasina (in my mom's opinion,
the only one who's gotten it all right) and Rufus Sewell as Septimus.
And come on, freaking Bill Nighy as Bernard. And why is <i>Arcadia </i>awesome? I tried to explain seven years ago <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2011/05/here-i-am-in-arcadia.html&source=gmail&ust=1519227411088000&usg=AFQjCNGCenf52KY6-zAP0FUxbv7se18Cuw" href="http://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2011/05/here-i-am-in-arcadia.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>9) </b><span class="im"><b>What's up next creatively for you?</b></span><br />
<br />
I'm working on my second short fiction collection, though it's slower going than I'd like. This collection is called <i>A Word For The Almost-Home</i>,
a title taken from the first line of the poem "there and back again" by
Nora May Hill (permission granted via tumblr because the Internet is
made of magic). This collection is about the magnetism of the idea of
home: what it means to leave, what it means to return, what it means to
be stranded, and what happens on the journey when you can't find it. I
found Hill's poem when I was beginning to look for a shape to the pieces
I had already assembled, and it was like someone had filled the room
with fireflies: <i>yes</i>. My co-blogger Daniel is lobbing writing
prompts at me, so I anticipate some progress in filling in the current
gaps in the collection.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The two articles with
my dad will hopefully be published sometime this year, and I'll no doubt
be social media blasting once they do.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And if I
ever actually sit down to write that book of short humorous essays that
everyone is required to write, I have a title for that one, too: <i>I Haven't Heard Of Me Either</i>.</div>
<span class="im"></span><br />
<div>
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</span>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-71488919098970186622018-02-13T13:32:00.000-08:002018-03-04T18:47:38.525-08:00TEATIME TEN: Emily C. A. Snyder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have yours truly chatting about all things romantic from Regency to Shakespeare in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=letters+of+love+%26+deceptioni"><i>Letters of Love & Deception</i></a> and <a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/article/The-Merry-Wives-Become-Merry-Widows-in-New-Shakespeare-Play-20180202"><i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i></a>!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Oh...and what to do with an elephant you've suddenly been gifted. Which is to say, check out questions #8 & 9 to see queries gleaned from <i>you</i>!</span><br />
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<b>1) Tell us a little bit about yourself!</b></div>
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I was raised on a boneless chicken farm off the coast of Kansas...wait, no. I'm a theatre director, playwright and actor, as well as a novelist and blogger, living in NYC. For ten years I taught teenagers, and now run my theatre company, <a href="http://www.turntoflesh.org/">TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS</a> which basically develops new Shakespeare plays, but with vibrant roles for women.</div>
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<b>2) What<i> </i>are your latest projects about?</b></div>
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I guess love is really in the air! Both of my projects this month are about romance - either the loves we gain or the loves we lose.</div>
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<i>Letters of Love & Deception</i> is a selection of short stories inspired by Jane Austen's characters, including an epistolary novel between two of the villains in <i>Persuasion</i>, and poking fun at the <i>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies</i> craze from a few years back (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/sneak-peek-at-of-16578447">read now</a>). There's also a really sweet story about Miss Bates from <i>Emma</i> and her long lost love.</div>
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Conversely, <i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i>, a riff on Shakespeare's <i>Merry Wives</i>, deals with what happens after happily ever after. There's a lot of silliness, of course! Dogberry and Verges make their way into the script from <a href="https://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-favorite-theater-of-2017.html?spref=fb"><i>A Comedy of Heirors</i></a>. But it's also about sorting out how to keep living after loss.</div>
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<b>3) What inspired you to write it?</b></div>
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<i>Letters of Love & Deception</i> came from my first year out of college, stuck in cubicle-land. There was an on-line forum called <a href="http://pemberley.com/">The Republic of Pemberley</a> which hosted a board to post paraliterature called Bits of Ivory. Having spent my senior year of college thoroughly immersed in the emotionally disruptive world of Oscar Wilde's <i>Salome</i>, I was eager to spend some time in Jane Austen's civility. </div>
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<b> </b></div>
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For <i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i>, the American Shakespeare Center has put out a call for "<a href="https://americanshakespearecenter.com/2018/02/everything-old-is-new-again-2/">Shakespeare's New Contemporaries</a>" - that is, looking for plays in conversation with Shakespeare's canon. Since I've spent my life as a working playwright - that is, always writing against a deadline and "to spec" (E.g., We've got fourteen actresses and twenty minutes! Write a play!), I work well with these constraints.</div>
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That said, it's fascinating to see the difference between writing <i>Letters</i> in 2000, and writing<i> Widows</i> in 2018. I hadn't had much life experience way back when. I certainly hadn't suffered loss - I hadn't even suffered (romantic) love at that point. So, there's an element of increased satire like Jane Austen in <i>Letters</i>, while <i>Widows</i> is dealing with some pretty personal stuff.</div>
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<b>4) What was the hardest part to write?</b></div>
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Endings. <i>Letters </i>was fun to write. I'm a performer at heart, so writing immediately and then putting it up for an audience once a week encouraged me to keep writing. (That's how I finished my first two novels after all!) But I'm like Leonardo da Vinci - I've got all these half-finished novels and plays lying around, and I need someone <i>expecting</i> to read or produce them in order to get myself together and finish the darn thing!</div>
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<b> </b></div>
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<b>5) What's your favorite part of the writing process?</b></div>
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Probably finishing. Naw, I'm just kidding. (But I'm also pages away from finishing <i>Widows</i>, and you know how I feel about endings.) I mean, my <i>favorite</i> part is when the characters are loud enough that you can just put a single song on repeat, zone out, and follow them around - gasping and laughing and crying (yes, crying) as though you were a reader. Those days are rare, of course. But when they come, they're great.<b> </b></div>
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<b>6) What was your journey to publishing like?</b></div>
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I've written about getting a traditional publisher <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-i-did-it-publishing-101.html">here</a> - and if I'm being honest, I've been fortunate enough to receive a couple of lucky breaks like that. (Including a super-secret <i>path</i>-eos that'll impact this blog soon - shhhh!) But a lot of getting published, or of getting produced is equal parts:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Luck: You just happen to be the person they're looking for at the time you're looking for them</li>
<li>Discipline & Endurance: Keep writing. Then keep writing. Then keep writing.</li>
<li>Chutzpah: Submit your stuff. Then send it out again. And again. And when you don't believe in your stuff, and everything's terrible, <i>send it out again</i>.</li>
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<b>7) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</b><br />
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In acting, we want to get the scripts out of our hands as soon as possible. Because once you're memorized and you can get it in your body, <i>then</i> the art really begins.<br />
<br />
I think the same holds true for publishing. <i>Get the text out of your hands</i>. Let others read it. Publish it. Send it to agents. Get rejected. Learn from that. Start again.<br />
<br />
As a playwright, I've found that this discipline of <i>not </i>being too precious with one's text has made my work not only more vital, but more enjoyable. Right now, we're in rehearsals for a private reading of <i>Widows</i> (shhhh - more information about a public reading coming soon!), and I'm wearing the hat of playwright-<i>actor</i> for the first time. It's such an honor to see how others are interpreting the characters; to hear what they're experiencing from the inside; to just have lines changed and massaged to be better and more specific. And I'm <i>always </i>amazed at the generosity of the cast and crew who are willing to roll with Act IV being entirely rewritten with new soliloquies thrown in, or being patient as they wait for pages...specifically for that darn ending!<br />
<br />
But in short, best advice? Courage. Let your work be seen.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>#8&9</b><i> (The following qustions were gleaned from </i><u>you</u><i> on the interwebs!)</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>How dare you?</b><br />
<br />
I DON'T KNOW! But I think it has a lot to do with Imposter Syndrome, frustration with how women are being written, and the <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html">Procrastination Monkey</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>You got a lotta nerve!</b><br />
<br />
No, I don't think I do. But thanks for letting me know my acting like I've got nerve is paying off! <a href="https://vimeo.com/15476780"><i>Acting</i>, thank you</a>!<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">You’re
invited to a party and you don’t know anyone there. You walk in. What
do you do first? Do you survey the scene to get a feel for the vibes or
do you go up to someone and introduce yourself?</span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">In real life, if I don't know anyone there...I probably didn't go. No, that's not true. But I will almost certainly make my way to the chips and dip and hope that no one continues to notice me as I make like my ancestors and ghost.<br /><br />If it's a networking event, though, I tend to crank up the charm to 11, waltz in - <i>still go to the chips and dip</i> (because that's where everyone who's also afraid to meet people go) - hold out my hand and start smiling like a <i>mother</i>. (Full disclosure: first time I ever had to do this in Hollywood of all places, I had to give myself a pep talk and pretend to be my far more outgoing brother.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">If I'm going to an event where I don't know anyone, but I'm the keynote speaker, generally people come up to me. And I never get to the chips and dip.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">You were going to include a particular character/scene in your book but changed your mind. Why?</span></span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Ooooooooooh. This is a good one. Hmmm, well for the super-secret nunnery #MeToo project (see Question 10), I'm debating letting Dogberry and Verges invade here, too. It's super 50-50 which way it will go.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I'd say one of the scenes I'm sorriest to have lost is in my taking-forever-to-write novel, <i>The Sable Valentine</i>. There was this whole subplot where we went to the opera and met this louchy guy (I love writing louchy guys) who was going to be a romantic rival for our heroine. But I don't know that I need him. Although we'll still go to the <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/16774484">opera</a>. </span></span></span><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I'm also working on finishing up <i>Presumption</i>, a <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> novel, hopefully due out in the fall. I got stalled by trying to add in a storyline for Anne de Bourgh, but I don't think that she needs it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">All my foils get foiled again! </span></span></span><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">What do you look for in collaborators?</span></span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Really, I look for people who "get it." In theatre, this means actors who just "get" my work, either interpreting it as actors or directors, or who know me well enough to needle me to be a better writer. I don't need "yes men" - that's not productive - but I do want people who support me through the process to make the <i>work</i> the best that it can be. Which often means asking questions, challenging, or offering new points of view. But in a loving way.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I mean, it's like love, right? There's a spark. As C. S. Lewis says about friendship, it's meeting someone to whom you can say: "You, too? I thought I was the only one who thought this way!"</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I love finding that in others, and then challenging each other to be more than what we thought we were.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Describe your creative process prior to sitting down to write the first draft.</span></span></span> </span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span> </b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
So much TV. So many showers. So much cooking and cleaning and saying yes to parties and talking to old friends and doing pretty much <i>anything</i> not to actually start writing. <br />
<br />
I used to think that all this was procrastination, but I don't think so anymore. Because the articles I read, the TV I take in, the quiet times spent doing physical activities, the conversations about life I have with friends and family - <i>this is</i> the stuff I write about. It's like getting all your ingredients together. And in some cases, it's about planting the seeds that will become ingredients further on.<br />
<br />
That said, when I usually get a germ of an idea, I'm a talker. For <i>Widows</i>, I've called up my family many times to just chat out loud with them about what the story might be. I don't use a fifth of what we brainstorm, but it gets the water boiling.<br />
<br />
<b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Why do you write like you're running out of time?</span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijspsnbQrI4paCGF6Zm858g47RGTS0LYGcGF0-IPrI1d_43vOPbnPtgc7oL_AbW5YlvveauEH8RcWk4kQFRAhdrYPAMK28AeunTroqANIQ_DP9-Myg8Iaoe4IYaCKxz9qc7dVU-x9Dzz6j/s1600/NC+Audiobook+Cover+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijspsnbQrI4paCGF6Zm858g47RGTS0LYGcGF0-IPrI1d_43vOPbnPtgc7oL_AbW5YlvveauEH8RcWk4kQFRAhdrYPAMK28AeunTroqANIQ_DP9-Myg8Iaoe4IYaCKxz9qc7dVU-x9Dzz6j/s320/NC+Audiobook+Cover+02.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Because...I am. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Honestly, turning 40 this year, and starting to watch my parents and my parents' generation age, it's struck me that (God willing) I only have a good 40-50 years left on this earth, and I'd better make good use of it.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I think I made good use of my first 40, but I mostly interpreted works from others. Mostly Shakespeare. And while that's great training, if I don't write these plays, they will simply never ever <i>ever</i> be written. They won't exist.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">So...my literary clock is ticking?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">On a scale from One to Pickle, how many oliphaunts are in a dram?</span></span></span> </span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Driving glove, man. C'mon. <i>Everyone </i>knows that.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">If
you could pick one of your characters to come into real life (a la the
musical "City of Angels") and talk with you, who would you pick?</span></span></span> </span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Hmmmm, <i>only</i> one? Shoot. Romantically, I'm inclined to pick the very first swashbuckling brooder I ever wrote, the dashing Poityr vol Rev, because I'm still a twelve year old girl at heart. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">But if I wanted wisdom, I'd do better inviting <a href="http://trueearth.weebly.com/4-rule-of-the-fairies.html">Urdur, the Lord of Mysteries</a> to come into my home. He'd be grumpy and impossible, but he'd be <i>right</i>. </span></span></span><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Piggybacking
on the above, if you could prevent anyone from ever acting like or
sounding like any character you have written, which would you pick and
why?</span></span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Yikes. Again. Only <i>one</i>? I've written...I have written <i>so many cads</i>. Like, so so many. I mean, I'd rather not have Kian (from the Poityr novel; <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/16370289">read here</a>) be alive, because he's super powerful and mass-murdery and manipulative, so there's that. <br /><br />But I'm also not a fan of my Francis Ford in <i>Merry Widows of Windsor</i>, who's behaving like a controlling, manipulative jerk under the guise of piety and love.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> And although I know at least one friend who <i>loves</i> my character Padriac from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Niamh-Hermit-Emily-C-Snyder/dp/1889758361/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8"><i>Niamh and the Hermit</i></a>, I find that guy manipulative and petty and opportunistic, too.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Can I just say: I'd stop all the manipulative people from manipulating? But Kian. Yes. Because of all the genocide.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">You've been given an elephant. You cannot sell it or regift it. What to you do with the elephant?</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Are you kidding me? Finally! Free transportation in New York City! </span></span></span><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span></span></b> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>And finally...</b></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Why does a chicken?</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
Purple.</div>
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<br />
<b>10) What's up next creatively for you?</b><br />
<br />
For novels: <i>Letters</i> will be available in audiobook by the summer, and hopefully hardcover, too! </div>
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<br /></div>
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For plays: I'm working on a top secret new play that's inspired by <i>Tartuffe</i> and <i>Measure for Measure</i> in the light of #MeToo, which means that it involves sex, nuns, and convoluted rhymes. Of course.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Over on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>: I'm releasing music, stories, and a pretty big writing project over there. So check that out!</div>
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<br /></div>
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For blogs: As mentioned, there's a super secret and exciting set of papers being signed, but let's just say we've got some <i>Pop Feminist</i> articles coming your way soon.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div>
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR: </b><br />
Emily C. A. Snyder has written far too much. And is grateful to do so. She is starring for the first time since third grade in her own play, <i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i>, and is terrified out of her mind. Well, excited <i>and</i> scared. She will bet you one kiss you didn't get this far in the blog.</div>
<div>
<br />
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<br />
<b>CONGRATS </b>to Nicole Stallworth, Caitlin Leyden, and Laisha V for winning last week's give-away, copies of Rosamund Hodges' <i>Bright Smoke, Cold Fire</i>. See the full Teatime Ten interview <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/02/teatime-ten-rosamund-hodge.html">here</a>. </div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-86625510743380627802018-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:002018-02-06T07:00:14.703-08:00TEATIME TEN: Rosamund Hodge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVDyBGV6T3RcMQN53KWuNveZK6rZ3FWYsWQgVbU9R6AYJBno5wM9QaMigpVtP4x1b7H5Zsby4Qw7VEh-oM12PIU2Six7YbtEMdjwcIQpsBy8RJY1mpgHLjss83XcWDiHdy9cqXRCDBESO/s1600/RosamundHodge+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVDyBGV6T3RcMQN53KWuNveZK6rZ3FWYsWQgVbU9R6AYJBno5wM9QaMigpVtP4x1b7H5Zsby4Qw7VEh-oM12PIU2Six7YbtEMdjwcIQpsBy8RJY1mpgHLjss83XcWDiHdy9cqXRCDBESO/s400/RosamundHodge+copy.jpg" width="266" /></a>Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/">Rosamund Hodge</a> chatting about her latest novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Water-Starless-Bright-Smoke-ebook/dp/B073B19YQ6/"><i>Endless Water, Starless Sky</i></a>.<br />
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Rosamund has generously offered to <b>give away three books</b>, so check out the end of the
article for how you can win a copy for yourself!<b> </b></div>
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<b>1) Tell us a little bit about yourself!</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I was raised a
homeschooler in Los Angeles. I went to college at the University of Dallas and
grad school at Oxford (yes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>
Oxford). I'm still a little surprised that my life is no longer measured out
with coffee spoons and GPAs. I live in Seattle, I raise chickens, and I write
novels.</span><b>
</b><br />
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</b><br />
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<b><b>2) What's your latest book about? </b></b></div>
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</b>
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</b>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm in the middle of
a duology right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Smoke-Cold-Rosamund-Hodge-ebook/dp/B01A5C2JX8/">Bright Smoke, Cold Fire</a>,</i> was published
in 2016; the conclusion, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Endless Water,
Starless Sky</i> will come out this July. It's a high fantasy retelling of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet,</i> set in the last city
left alive after a zombie apocalypse—a city whose walls are protected by
blood-magic, and whose people are riven by blood-feuds.</span></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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</b>
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<b><b>3) What inspired you to write it?</b></b></div>
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</b>
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</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiNTddGzUr2AKSWtHVSvl2sqH5CFeB2O4kSWjI2EDSC1IGM5xILR4b5bOkaSoB5M2kHOU8_fPPKi0wFjH8i5xm_hHzXyZMIPGG3gvhPsGOQW3Kr44Pv-XTxy0e92fhLQqGDSKYNkPuGJW/s1600/endless_water.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiNTddGzUr2AKSWtHVSvl2sqH5CFeB2O4kSWjI2EDSC1IGM5xILR4b5bOkaSoB5M2kHOU8_fPPKi0wFjH8i5xm_hHzXyZMIPGG3gvhPsGOQW3Kr44Pv-XTxy0e92fhLQqGDSKYNkPuGJW/s400/endless_water.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Ballet. (No, really!)</div>
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I always thought that I hated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i> (even though I couldn't stop thinking about it, which
should have been a hint). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I got
a chance at cheap tickets to the ballet <i>Roméo et Juliette</i>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that surely the dancing would be
worth the stupid story.</div>
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Boy was I wrong. The dancing was beautiful, of course, but
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">story—</i>you see, the ballet frames
it from the perspective of the Friar, so that it's not just a story of teenaged
hormones, but of an attempt to end a murderous blood-feud through marriage. The
most dramatic moment in the ballet is when Romeo kills Tybalt, because that's when
the attempt at peace fails, and tragedy becomes inevitable.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm kind of meh about teenaged hormones. But I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">adore</i> blood-feuds and tragedy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my experience with the ballet led me to
start looking at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with new eyes, and to start imagining a new
story.</div>
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</b><br />
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<b><b>4) What was the hardest part of the book to write?</b></b></div>
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</b>
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</b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">THE PLOT.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Some people plot
naturally. I think they are alien hybrids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For me, the joy of a story is in its characters and its themes and the three
to twelve dramatic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scenes that come into
my head at the start. All the rest is toil and trouble, and the connective
tissue—a.k.a. "plot"—is worst of all.</span></div>
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</b><br />
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<b><b>5) What's your favorite part of the writing process?</b></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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</b>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When I'm drafting,
it's editing. When I'm editing, it's drafting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But really, I think my favorite part is brainstorming and outlining the
story at its start. That's pure creativity with none of the work.</span></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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</b>
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<b><b>6) What was your journey to publishing like?</b></b></div>
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</b>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Agonizing yet
boring. After I had revised the first draft of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cruel Beauty</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>a few times, I started querying. The
process took about eight months and most of my sanity. Finally I signed with an
agent, and she told me to revise again. Once we went on submission,
HarperCollins made their offer within a couple weeks.</span></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><b>7) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</b></b></div>
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</b>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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</b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Honestly, I feel as
if all the really good tips have already been given? What I will say is this: someday,
you are going to lose your joy in writing. It will happen, whether it's your
first revision for an agent, or your twenty-second for an editor. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But this is the
secret: you can find your joy again. It may take time and it may take trouble.
It may take<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a total break from the world
of publishing. But if you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> love
writing, then no matter how hard it gets, you can always find that joy again.</span></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><b>8) You're on a spy mission to save the hero(ine) of the
last book you read. Who are you saving and is it worth it?</b></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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</b><br />
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The last (fiction) book I read was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Something Dark and Holy </i>by Emily Duncan, which won't be published
until 2019. The heroine, Nadya, is the one person left in her country who can
talk to the gods, and I would absolutely consider it worth saving her even
though it's kinda ambiguous as to whether her gods are good news or bad.</div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
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<b><b>9) For twenty-four hours, you can live in one of your
worlds. Which do you pick and why?</b></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">All of my worlds are
terrible and uncomfortable and I would never want to live in them. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If I were forced to
choose, I would live in the world of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crimson
Bound,</i> where at least they have really cool dresses.</span></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><b>10) What's up next creatively for you?</b></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
</b><br />
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I'm drafting a new novel, and for the first time in my
(published) career, it's not a retelling! It's still fantasy, though: about a
girl who kills the evil sorcerer controlling her contry and then finds herself
haunted by his ghost.</div>
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<div>
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR: </b><br />
Rosamund Hodge is a graduate of homeschooling, Oxford University, and
the Viable Paradise writer’s workshop. She now lives in Seattle and
writes stories about fairy tales, myths, and dangerous girls. Her novels
include CRUEL BEAUTY and CRIMSON BOUND.<br />
Connect with her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rosamundhodgenovels/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rosamund_hodge/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/rosamundhodge">Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://rosamundhodge.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>! Check out her official website <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/">here</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BOOK GIVEAWAY! </b>Leave a comment and be entered to win an e-copy of <i>Bright Smoke, Cold Fire</i> from the author! The three winners will be notified by next Tuesday's <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>!<br />
<br />
<b>CONGRATS </b>to Mary Preston for winning last week's give-away, a copy of Rebecca Loomis' <i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i>. See the full Teatime Ten interview <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/teatime-ten-rebecca-loomis.html">here</a>. </div>
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</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-89909707844289450402018-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:002018-01-30T08:38:19.014-08:00TEATIME TEN: Rebecca Loomis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNFbo1YDY2qH_y70e_LwHKQehUpA0neaZcWkDVkV472SruUex4e_YUPB1R87wakMveAAsmYGKQg6r4rxaBOqh1oDimLnW_Rdq1b4gZROosNSqznQq9Dqsef5YI-_rHh8XeUEnX9jsl1Eq/s1600/rebecca+loomis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="465" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNFbo1YDY2qH_y70e_LwHKQehUpA0neaZcWkDVkV472SruUex4e_YUPB1R87wakMveAAsmYGKQg6r4rxaBOqh1oDimLnW_Rdq1b4gZROosNSqznQq9Dqsef5YI-_rHh8XeUEnX9jsl1Eq/s320/rebecca+loomis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Welcome back to the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>, an author interview series! Today we have <a href="https://www.rebeccaloomis.com/">Rebecca Loomis</a> chatting about her debut novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whitewashed-Tomb-Rebecca-Loomis/dp/1978084927/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i></a>. <br />
<br />
Rebecca has generously offered a book giveaway, so check out the end of the article for how you can win a signed copy for yourself!<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>1) Tell us a little bit about yourself!</b><br />
<br />
I'm
a Catholic artist, photographer, graphic designer, and writer. I grew
up in New York, then zig-zagged across the country for college and
missionary work. I studied film in California, then mass communications
in Kansas; served with Saint Paul's Outreach at Arizona State
University, then again at Texas State University. I've visited seven
foreign countries and counting, and it's taught me how small I am in
this massive world of wondrous marvels. I'm stubborn but soft. A dreamer
and a doer. I can't stand being passive, but I hate being busy. At all
times, the contents of my purse will include a knife, a koozie, and a
rosary. When people ask me what I like to do, I'm stumped, because I
simply love life and all it's facets! I believe that beauty can save the
world, and I'm determined to play my part in making it a little more
lovely with the gifts God has given me.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>2) What's your book about?</b><i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i> is a dystopian novel (the genre of <i>The Hunger Games,</i> <i>Divergent, </i>and <i>Fahrenheit 451</i>)
about a young woman named Tabitha. She lives in a society divided into
the classes of "Privileged" and "Provision," the latter of which
provides all necessities to the former. Her problem: Tabitha is
Privileged. Her mother is dying. And only the Provision have access to
the kind of medicine she needs. Tabitha's father promised to obtain this
medicine, but has been MIA since he left, three years prior. When
Tabitha discovers that her father is a felon at an elite institute for
the Provision, she blackmails her way in, making the same promise to her
twin that she'll get medicine for their mother. When Tabitha arrives at
the institute, she's recruited by Security to assist in finding and
capturing him, putting her at an impasse: to save one parent would doom
the other. At first, the choice seems obvious. Her father abandoned her
and deserves his punishment! But a large part of her still just wants
her daddy back. Through her journey, Tabitha learns what it really means
to forgive, and is challenged to sacrifice her own ambitions to take a
stand for what is right. <br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>3) What inspired you to write it?</b><br />
<br />
Writing
requires a general love for people in all their diverse complexity. My
inspiration comes from them all: people I've met, people I sleep down
the hall from, people I see at airports, and the ways people have
impacted my life--for good or for ill. It's hard to pinpoint a single
spark that lit the fire for <i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i>. Some of my inspirations for the society and antagonist come from <i>Fahrenheit 451 </i>by Ray
Bradbury, and my own personal studies of Margaret Sanger and the New
World Order. This first book of the Whitewashed Tomb series doesn't
touch too much on these dystopian factors, but there's a lot more creepy
totalitarianism and eugenics to come in the sequels!<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>4) What was the hardest part of the book to write?</b></span><br />
<br />
The
hardest part of writing my book was starting. I planned and outlined
for years before I finally wrote the first scene. I never even used the
prologue that was the first thing I wrote, but I didn't need to. It
didn't matter. What mattered is that I'd started, and in doing so
unplugged the cork that was stopping the story from flowing freely out.<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>5) What surprised you about the writing process?</b></span><br />
<br />
I
was most surprised at how the story kind of wrote itself. I had plans
in place that I'd labored over for literal years and had to scratch
because my characters would simply not allow it. Some side-characters
were never supposed to live past the midpoint, but they demanded to
exist. Some characters were supposed to fall in love, and they told me,
"Ew! Not happening." Some of my favorite scenes and story elements (i.e.
Krikor and the bubble-gum pink squirrel) happened spontaneously
mid-sentence.<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>6) What was your journey to publishing like?</b></span><br />
<br />
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When
I finished the first draft of my novel, I cried. When I held the first
proof of my book in paperback format, I laughed 'til my face hurt. When I
announced to my social media followers that my book was available for
purchase, my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. <i>Oh gosh. People are actually going to read this.</i> It was terrifying.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i> isn't
on the big, colorful displays at Barnes&Noble (though that would be
amazing!). My dad, Mario Loomis, had recently self-published his novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29484301-essence-assault-on-the-mind"><i>Essence, Assault on the Mind</i></a>,
through an Amazon company called CreateSpace. I followed his footsteps.
Everything was in my control: the design, the marketing, the
distribution. I knew it would be a little, unknown book and I probably
wouldn't make any profit off it, but it was out there. Someone,
somewhere, would get to experience the delightful story that had, until
then, been exclusively mine. That's what mattered to me most.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This
being my expectation, I was blown away by the positive feedback I got
from my readers. People fell in love with Ambrose. People begged me to
tell them what happened with Mayra Mae. People wailed at Tabitha's
stupid mistakes, the same way I had. Local shops offered to let me host
book signings, someone asked for discussion questions to review at their
book club, some others gave me five-star reviews, and many people sent
me pictures of their excited selves holding their newly-arrived copies
of my story. These may have been little, everyday gestures to them, but
each one meant the world to me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In short, I'm
still a starving author, but there's nothing like kicking that horrid
title "Aspiring Writer" to the curb, and getting to fawn over my own
characters with other people who now know them too.<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>7) Do you have any tips for would-be authors?</b></span><br />
<br />
I've
found that just about every other person I talk to about my book has
some story locked away inside them. They say, "Oh, I've always wanted to
write a book," or "There's a story I've been thinking about writing for
years," and so on. My advice to them would be: JUST DO IT. I spent six
years working on <i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i>, but only ten months actually
writing the first draft. The hardest step is the first, but if you
never make it, you'll always ask "What if?".</div>
<div>
<br />
On a practical note,
I found that setting a daily word-count goal is a huge game-changer. I
decided on 500 words per day, and when I incorporated that into my
routine, that's when I was finally able to write my story. Not only did
it push me to finish, it also released a torrent of creativity that I
wasn't previously able to tap into. I think when you force yourself to
do something creative despite a lack of inspiration, it trains your
brain to be more creative all the time. I didn't always meet 500 words,
but when I pushed past the first 50-100, I usually ended up writing
closer to triple my goal, and the quality of the work was better.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<span class="im"><b>8)
You're stranded on a desert island for a week and can only bring one
book, one dessert, and one famous person dead or alive. What's your
week like?</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/406186.Mara_Daughter_of_the_Nile"><i>Mara, Daughter of the Nile</i></a> by Eloise Jarvis McGraw</li>
<li>Dessert: Ice cream (mint chocolate chip, cookie dough, and chocolate peanut butter swirl with hot fudge and whipped cream)</li>
<li>Famous person: Jesus</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Jesus
can multiply fish and make bread fall from the sky, so I'll be able to
survive there for a week no problem. He'll make excellent company as I
read my favorite Egyptian historical fiction for the tenth (give or
take) time, and the ice cream will cool me off after a long day of
exploring the untamed nature of our island.<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>9) For twenty-four hours you're given one superpower. What is it and what do you do with it?</b></span><br />
<br />
I
never actually watched the show Avatar, but I would love to be a
water-bender. Water fascinates and simultaneously intimidates me. I
would use my superpower to create an air bubble around my head and
fulfill my dream of swimming among hundreds of wild stingrays. I'd might
power-wash my house... but mostly I'd just play. Playing is good for
the soul.<span class="im"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="im"><b>10) What's up next creatively for you?</b></span><br />
<br />
Next up on the list of things to write is the sequel to<i> A Whitewashed Tomb!</i>
I've already got the storyline all worked out, it's just a matter of
doing the actual writing and editing. This is the fun part, and I can't
wait to share it with my readers.</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH90iPUPMn79_WG_1Oz1fswvAWqIK5_eWb5Db4_nK6WOJ18u7vViOmKcE7Ke8wvO8D0z4iNmydWBOR38kjhqOhnBScJ2-d43amltD1rOI5FMR9OyCd6HMK4H6LFqzvoVawpnSwavTJlO92/s1600/teatimeten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="370" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH90iPUPMn79_WG_1Oz1fswvAWqIK5_eWb5Db4_nK6WOJ18u7vViOmKcE7Ke8wvO8D0z4iNmydWBOR38kjhqOhnBScJ2-d43amltD1rOI5FMR9OyCd6HMK4H6LFqzvoVawpnSwavTJlO92/s320/teatimeten.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR: </b>Rebecca
Loomis is a photographer and graphic designer from the New York Hudson
Valley. During college, she studied under screenwriter Christopher
Riley, who is considered “The most authoritative figure for the official
screenplay format of Hollywood,” according to IMDb. Switching gears
from entertainment media to mass communications, Rebecca graduated summa
cum laude from Benedictine College. She then spent three years doing
stateside missionary work, counseling college students for the nonprofit
Saint Paul’s Outreach, after which she dabbled in marketing at
BBG&G Advertising. Rebecca has won multiple awards for her poetry,
published articles in various media outlets, and teaches online classes
through Skillshare.com.<br />
<br />
Connect with her on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaLoomisMedia">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/rebecca.loomis.media">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/rebeccaloomis">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/rloomismedia">Pinterest </a>or <a href="https://www.patreon.com/rebeccaloomis">Patreon</a>! Check out her official website <a href="https://www.rebeccaloomis.com/">here</a>. Follow <i>A Whitewashed Tomb</i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AWhitewashedTomb/">here</a>.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>BOOK GIVEAWAY! </b>Leave a comment and be entered to win one signed paperback from the author! The winner will be notified by next Tuesday's <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/teatime%20ten">Teatime Ten</a>!</div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-24599025765484152502018-01-28T13:59:00.003-08:002018-01-29T14:02:16.519-08:00The Greatest Showman and "The Other Woman"A man and a woman meet.<br />
<br />
He's tall, handsome, charismatic. Looks a lot like Hugh Jackman because, in fact, it <i>is</i> Hugh Jackman, decked out in top hat and tails and a thousand watt grin.<br />
<br />
The woman, an opera singer swathed in silks, flutters her lashes and gazes up coyly. (She is a red-head after all. The universal signal of what her favorite scarlet letter must be.)<br />
<br />
The movie is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Showman"><i>The Greatest Showman</i></a>, the latest Hugh Jackman-headlined musical, very loosely based on the life of circus entrepreneur, P. T. Barnum. By the time of this scene, the story's plot has reached the mid-point, and since the script <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/how-accurate-is-the-greatest-showman-pt-barnums-actual-story-is-even-wilder-than-the-movie-7665449">refuses to criticize Barnum</a>, or show him warts and all, we are in desperate need of a villain. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Enter the other woman. </blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMh-Rv8R9tqspyi4Ki6bNHlKoK0sHVMsKn0_4qU90WLEraxp7fnU1sx6E3fj3r2qotSFZgSYcDyZxuVI4Dyf8GZQNQzlbXfFLDrb1F9bTeaCyU4KglwOs7P1th6IjzB3UxisEFxeiBtWH/s1600/jenny+lind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1200" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMh-Rv8R9tqspyi4Ki6bNHlKoK0sHVMsKn0_4qU90WLEraxp7fnU1sx6E3fj3r2qotSFZgSYcDyZxuVI4Dyf8GZQNQzlbXfFLDrb1F9bTeaCyU4KglwOs7P1th6IjzB3UxisEFxeiBtWH/s640/jenny+lind.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women: Every One A Temptress. Ammirite?<br />
Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) and P. T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman)<br />
from <i>The Greatest Showman</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Vixens or Victims?</b><br />
<br />
Literature is full of <i>femme fatales</i>: seductive sirens and "other women" who exist solely to tempt the virtuous hero before being roundly rebuffed and sent packing.<br />
<br />
After all, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinevere">Queen Guinevere</a> and her <i>lady parts</i> were the downfall of all those virtuous men of Camelot. Sir Lancelot, who single handedly defeated <i>everything else</i>, never stood a chance. Ditto <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy">Helen of Troy</a>, <i>forcing</i>
Paris to abduct her and imprison her in a foreign city while poor,
defenseless, armor-clad warriors had to kill each day and
rape priestesses each night.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PPVSnhI0dCw6hliI_bc-HBEDbH7pOcXlrMWkQgt9l5jvh_yc3OaVzXIPakpf7_uwY4qxczk1RrYMUwuYnDwKZz1uGrOe2Bl-IHBRne__RXgpQKJd6Cz9DGkhBSOjCbCwI7q8EChoOggk/s1600/tudors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PPVSnhI0dCw6hliI_bc-HBEDbH7pOcXlrMWkQgt9l5jvh_yc3OaVzXIPakpf7_uwY4qxczk1RrYMUwuYnDwKZz1uGrOe2Bl-IHBRne__RXgpQKJd6Cz9DGkhBSOjCbCwI7q8EChoOggk/s400/tudors.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne Boleyn: The Ultimate "Other Woman"<br />
<i>Definitely</i> in charge of this situation...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Or, to look at only the "other women" trope, married Odysseus subdued <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circe">Circe</a> - presented as a predatory witch - slept with her, stayed with her voluntarily for a year, abandoned her, and for his "virtue" was rewarded with the 20-year fidelity of his clueless wife. Almost every recounting of the history of Henry VIII casts <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn">Anne Boleyn</a> as the sole downfall of <i>the most powerful man in England</i>. Despite her having refused him the first several times. Nope: dem women. Sneaking around with nation-destroying boobies. Tellingly, later mythology around Anne accuses her, too, of "witchcraft."<br />
<br />
Arthur Miller's <i>The Crucible</i> lays the Salem Witch trials solely and squarely on the shoulders of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Williams">Abigail Williams</a>, who was twelve years old in reality, but is a nubile and vengeful woman scorned in Miller's play. If not a witch herself, then certainly a hunter of one. And the married John Proctor, whose <i>only</i> fault was sleeping with a teenage girl - <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html">where have we heard that one before</a>? - is sobbing over the loss of <i>his </i>"good name" by the end of the play.<br />
<br />
Heck! Remember the 90's? We all laid the blame for Bill Clinton's affair on "other woman" Monica Lewinsky. <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/15/16634776/clinton-lewinsky-resigned">A narrative that is finally being reckoned with today</a>. Most damning, Lewinsky is on the record in <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/05/monica-lewinsky-speaks">Vanity Fair</a> saying:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual
relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when <b>I was made a
scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position.</b> <i>(Emphasis mine.)</i> </blockquote>
<b>An Affair to Remember</b> <br />
<br />
This is not to deny that in the case of an affair it takes, at minimum, three to tango. Nor is this to exonerate women from any responsibility they may bear in the particulars of a case. Women are fully capable of being villains as well as victims. As that ancient wisdom from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppets_Take_Manhattan"><i>The Muppets Take Manhattan</i></a> said: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Peoples is peoples. Is good peoples. Is bad peoples. Is peoples. Peoples is peoples."</blockquote>
But it's important to recognize that the narratives we tell ourselves are powerful and affect how we view reality. For example, a 2017 <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40806-017-0110-z">study</a> from the University of Cardiff found that when a woman cheats on a man, she is blamed for the infidelity. <span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><i>However</i>, when a man cheats on a woman, "the other woman" is blamed while the philandering man gets off scot free.</b></span> This is true even in cases, quite frequent, where the cheating man was lying to all parties, and keeping the news of his attachment secret from the woman he pursued.<br />
<br />
The MTV show, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/decoded"><i>Decoded</i></a> has an excellent breakdown of why we victim blame, pointing out the importance of <i>grammar</i> on the way that we tend to judge cases. Essentially, if we tell the story of a victim from her point of view, we tend to focus on what she could have done to avoid the situation. Conversely, if we told the story from the point of view of the predator, we would see how his actions were the ones that put the victim in an untenable position.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Narrative and Responsibility</b> <br />
<br />
This is what <i>The Greatest Showman</i> gets wrong in its story-telling.<br />
<br />
Time and again, the narrative is framed in such a way that the protagonist, P. T. Barnum, remains that <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/star-wars-return-of-stakes-or-failure.html">Winner Always Winning</a>, rather than also taking responsibility for his selfish choices and actions. Other have pointed out how the movie whitewashes Barnum's exploitation of "circus freaks" for his own gain. But fewer have pointed out how the movie does a disservice to the historical person of Jenny Lind who - in the context of the movie - is a villainous "<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/12/greatest-showman-hugh-jackman-p-t-barnum-jenny-lind">other woman</a>," whereas in real life she was practically <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Lind">Mother Theresa.</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3_xHEqylFe5RietHgeurn5CBH7bBNRXSDaqBzBA1UzcvNI36R_AkTnXexy7wW4GpdCEpZAaWoze4kwKdhga9IN8zzfeHzPIGPTat5s15djceGQCuZL_q_O8q1-Q_p09saaEj7W_VdxzM/s1600/Jenny_Lind_and_Otto_Goldschmidt_cph.3a48920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3_xHEqylFe5RietHgeurn5CBH7bBNRXSDaqBzBA1UzcvNI36R_AkTnXexy7wW4GpdCEpZAaWoze4kwKdhga9IN8zzfeHzPIGPTat5s15djceGQCuZL_q_O8q1-Q_p09saaEj7W_VdxzM/s320/Jenny_Lind_and_Otto_Goldschmidt_cph.3a48920.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otto and Jenny: Power Couple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>A
few highlights:</b> <i>Lind was an international singing sensation through
Europe, retiring at the age of 29. She rebuffed the romantic overtures
of both Hans Christian Anderson and the married Felix Mendelssohn, while
managing to remain friends and colleagues with them. She did not much
care for P. T. Barnum or the way he marketed her in America, which led
to her splitting from Barnum to continue the tour under her own
management. She became the equivalent of a multi-millionaire from that
tour, the profits of which she donated entirely to charity, including
the foundation of free schools in her native Sweden. She then met and
fell in love with her pianist, Otto Goldschmidt, a Jewish man and son of
a notable woman's rights activist. Lind and Goldschmidt lived a long
and happy life. </i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nevertheless, in both musicalized versions of Barnum's story, <i>The Greatest Showman</i> and <i>Barnum, </i>Lind is branded "the other woman."</blockquote>
But how? And why?<br />
<br />
<b>Framing the Narrative</b><br />
<br />
Because <i>The Greatest Showman</i> can't bear for Barnum to take responsibility, and since the writers have decided on a possible affair as the last obstacle Barnum must overcome, we are treated to a musical sequence showing Lind's first concert in America where the camera frames the narrative for us in the following way:<br />
<ul>
<li>Lind sings center stage to a sold out audience</li>
<li>Charity, Barnum's wife, watches from the box, worried</li>
<li>Barnum, watching from the wings, is clearly enthralled by Lind's performance - dangerously so</li>
<ul>
<li><b>Conclusion: Lind is dangerous</b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
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<br />
But let's look again at the <i>actions</i>, rather than the point of view we're supposed to have:<br />
<ul>
<li>Lind is singing to a sold-out audience. Her attention is completely and professionally on her performance.</li>
<li>Charity, Barnum's wife, is suffering from a fear that her marriage is in danger. She clearly puts the blame on the woman singing on the stage, even though Lind's attention is on the audience, not on Barnum.</li>
<li>Barnum, watching from the wings, grows increasingly enthralled by Lind's performance. He notices his wife, but is swept up with visions of the heights he can achieve by attaching himself to Lind - who is still not paying him any attention. By the end, he focuses all his intention on Lind, determined to travel alone with her on tour.</li>
<ul>
<li><b>Conclusion: Barnum is dangerous.</b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
Bio-pics about artistic and political figures often trade in the
question of ambition. Which means that effectively the protagonist is <i>also</i> the antagonist. Think <i>Macbeth's</i> rise and fall. Or to look at musical examples, look no further than the falls of Hamilton in <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc"><i>Hamilton</i></a> and Mama Rose in <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1noY1VQbirlRf0AunxN6ow"><i>Gypsy</i></a>. It's a plot worthy of examination: that the very thing that drives our heroes are both their angels <i>and</i> their demons.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Stories of ambition are also stories of responsibility. </blockquote>
<i>The Greatest Showman </i>had multiple opportunities for Barnum to take responsibility: for exploiting his circus performers, for exploiting Jenny Lind, but instead they put the blame on "the upper class" and "the other woman" and even on "the theatre critics" for failing to valorize Barnum sufficiently.<br />
<br />
Compare this to <i>Hamilton's </i>trajectory: how his own ambitions help him gain influence in the founding of America, <i>and</i> how those same ambitions keep him from reaching the highest post in the land. He certainly has an affair with "the other woman," in this case a historically accurate con between a Mrs. Reynolds and her husband who extorted Hamilton by offering him sex at a cost. What makes the character of Hamilton, as written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, so excellent, though, is that the titular character takes full responsibility for his sordid affair in "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h2I8Dlu3_U">The Reynolds Pamphlet</a>," and suffers the rather public consequences of:<br />
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington: Take Note.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Which is followed soon after by the<i> </i>grace-filled "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMAoOGnw9qQ">It's Quiet Uptown</a>" wherein <i>because </i>Hamilton took responsibility for his actions and suffered the consequence, he is granted the opportunity for forgiveness.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We can't forgive Barnum, because he never admits wrong-doing. For forgiveness, there must be responsibility.</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Plato, Puritans, and the Anti-Theatrical Tradition</b><br />
<br />
There's an additional element to the demonization of Jenny Lind, which is:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The belief that people in the arts are by their nature promiscuous.</blockquote>
<br />
Look at the annual pearl-clutching over who wore what on the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/15-minute-classroom-lets-judge.html">red carpet</a>. Look at the way we all shook our heads knowingly as <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiA4frZzfvYAhUBrFMKHZs5BxUQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fnews%2Fnews-desk%2Ffrom-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories&usg=AOvVaw1PmrATqkVwLNSJKEtbIiyP">Weinstein</a>, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2017/11/07/kevin-spacey-scandal-complete-list-13-accusers/835739001/">Spacy</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html">Franco</a>, <a href="https://babe.net/2018/01/13/aziz-ansari-28355">Ansari</a>, etc. etc. etc. were finally outed. Look at how we <i>still</i> frame our responses, from feminists such as <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/joss-whedon-feminist-hypocrite-infidelity-affairs-ex-wife-kai-cole-says/">Joss Whedon</a> to hyperconservatives like <a href="https://www.crisismagazine.com/2018/sexual-harassment-crisis">Stephen M. Krason</a>, whose <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-do-they-teach-them-at-those.html">article</a> I criticized lately.<br />
<br />
At my Catholic college, theatre kids were looked at funny, as though the overly devout were thinking: "Aren't you in theatre? Don't you sometimes kiss <i>people who aren't your husband</i>?!??!" (Nevermind that those <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/2018/01/dr-estrangedlove-learned-stop-worrying-embrace-inner-feminist/">roles are few</a>, that <a href="https://www.intimacydirectorsinternational.com/">intimacy scenes</a> are done under tight direction, and that <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/10/natasha-weight-loss-and-disney-princess.html">I wasn't in</a> those kissing roles anyway. Well, except that <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2014/10/math-for-smoochers.html">once</a>.)<br />
<br />
<br />
This point of view is called the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitheatricality#Plato_and_ancient_Greece">anti-theatrical</a>" tradition, and can be traced as far back as Plato who, in his <i>Republic</i>, argued that if an actor took on the role of a murderous villain, then by the process of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis">mimesis</a>" (imitation and repetition), that actor would <i>also</i> become a murderous villain. By transitive properties, a woman who kisses on-stage must kiss off-stage, too. And if she can do it, why anyone who goes near a stage must come out a raving sex fiend.<br />
<br />
This
argument has had various champions throughout the ages, including the
likes of (alas) St. Augustine, the Puritan Commonwealth of England, and
modern day Evangelicals who all looked at theatre artists and declared with Obi-Wan Kenobi:<br />
<br />
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</center>
<br />
On a personal note, as a theatre director I have often been viewed as "the other woman" by significant others of my lead actors. Of course, nothing whatsoever was going on - except that I was daring to be a woman of power in the arts. Wholly fictional narratives like <i>The Greatest Showman</i> only perpetuate ideas about women in the arts which I find unfortunate and destructive.<br />
<br />
<b>The Show Can't Go On</b><br />
<br />
One of the reasons why I'm in theatre at all, and particularly as a playwright at present, is precisely because the way we shape our stories is the way we view the world. <i>The Greatest Showman</i> is a pleasant enough musical - although I have some beef with the music proper which I might save for another post - and Hugh Jackman is delightful as always. But <i>The Greatest Showman</i> could have been a <i>great</i> musical, closer to a <i>Hamilton</i>, if it had been brave enough to tell the truth about the man behind the con.<br />
<br />
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<b><br /></b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com344tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-2283091619970168042018-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:002018-01-24T07:00:07.628-08:00Wherein Our Heroine Suffers the Trials of a Day Job, and Writes Two Novels Instead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<span id="goog_1605557185"></span><span id="goog_1605557186"></span></div>
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<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption">Available for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr"><b>pre-order now</b></a>!</td></tr>
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Almost twenty years ago, I'd just graduated from college and was set adrift in the wide world of reality - which is, as anyone who's been there knows, a rather grim place to<b> </b>be.<br />
<br />
Since my job literally consisted of me coming in to my isolated cubicle, printing out my boss' emails in the morning and then again in the evening, and otherwise sitting for eight hours with almost nothing to do by a silent phone...I wrote.<br />
<br />
At the time, there was a rather bustling community called the <a href="https://pemberley.com/"><i>Republic of Pemberley</i></a>: a series of several handsomely maintained chatboards for Jane Austen enthusiasts. Since I had watched Colin Firth <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hasKmDr1yrA">jump into ponds</a> religiously my senior year of college (<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> fitting in nicely with that hotbed of celibacy), and since members of the ROP were eager for stories about the continuing adventures of Jane Austen's characters, and since I had <i>nothing to occupy my brain whatsoever</i>, I wrote a considerable amount of Jane Austen paraliterature.<br />
<br />
Which is to say, I wrote two novels (one of which is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07514NXY3/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503389145&sr=1-1">available</a>, and one of which is <a href="http://www.emilycasnyder.info/forthcoming.html">forthcoming</a>), and a heap of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr">short stories</a>. Not being a purist, my stories tended to fall into two categories: behind the scenes glimpses of her characters, and then outright silliness of the same. Which is to say, a sweet romance about the spinster Miss Bates' long lost love, juxtaposed with all of Austen's villains winding up in the same house on a dark and stormy night.<br />
<br />
I'm positively <i>thrilled</i> to announce that this long-awaited collection, <i>Letters of Love & Deception</i>, is now available for <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr">pre-order for Kindle</a><i>.</i></b> <br />
<br />
If you're a <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder"><b>Patreon</b></a>, there's an extra special treat: I've uploaded my favorite story in the book, "<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/16578447/">Pride and Paraliterature</a>" for your enjoyment. It's <i>maaaaybe</i> (definitely) a send-up of all those <i>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Cyclops and Martians, Oh My</i> novels.<br />
<br />
It's nearly Galentine's Day! So grab your chocolate and your best tea cup and snuggle up with <i>Letters of Love & Deception!</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr"><b>Available for pre-order now</b></a><b> | Delivered <u>Tuesday, February 13, 2018</u></b><br />
<br />
~*~<br />
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<b>Want to sample <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797QYHVC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516748632&sr">Letters of Love & Deception</a> </i>early? Become a $5+ patron </b><b><b>on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a></b> and get immediate access! </b><br />
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<b>Read "<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/16578447/">Pride and Paraliterature</a>" now!</b><br />
<br />
Can't wait? Need a fix of some frivolity and fast?<br />
<br />
<i>Nachtsturm Castle</i>, a Gothic Austen Satire is available now in for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07514NXY3/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503389145&sr=1-1">Kindle</a> and through <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Nachtstuerm-Castle-Audiobook/B078JGMB5D/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1513956330&sr=1-1">Audible</a>. <br />
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-24792771572896982902018-01-15T17:00:00.000-08:002018-01-15T17:00:51.433-08:00No Sleep 'Til Windsor!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hibernation: I think we're doing it wrong...</td></tr>
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<br />
I've been what I call a "working playwright" for most of my life.<br />
<br />
By which I mean that of the hundred or so plays I've written, all but a handful of them have been produced - which means that all but a handful of them have had <i>really hard deadlines</i> of dates when people were going to show up and start enacting your words whether you were ready or not, and soon after <i>loads of other people</i> were going to show up to watch them.<br />
<br />
Now, I didn't think much about it when I was doing this in high school. Mostly, then, I just didn't want to do lousy camp counselor skits, and so I told everyone that I'd write something for them - which meant directing it - which meant taking a role or two myself. Ignorance is truly bliss. And five year olds aren't literary agents.<br />
<br />
When I went back to high school, this time to teach, it was easier to just write a play to spec as well. Great! The Sophomore class has fourteen women and <i>maaaaybe</i> two men? Play can't be over an hour? I've got seven decent actors? I can work with that. I may have been less blissfully ignorant this time around, but still: not one parent in the audience reviewed for the <i>New York Times</i>.<br />
<br />
Now - in fact, <i>right now</i> as I'm writing this - I'm working hard against a partially self-imposed deadline of finishing at least half of <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/Merry%20Widows%20of%20Windsor"><i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i></a> by Thursday. And then finishing the remainder for submission to the <a href="http://americanshakespearecenter.com/">American Shakespeare Center's</a>: <a href="http://www.sncproject.com/faq.html">Shakespeare's New Contemporaries</a>
contest by February 15th. With some of my professional theatre buddies
generously giving of their time to read and enact the play, with me as
one of the characters - ok, <i>the </i>lead character - in front of *gulp*...well, let's just say: five year olds, they ain't.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual footage of the writing experience.<br />Many are called. Few survive.<br />Dread Pirate Roberts not included.</td></tr>
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So!
I am procrastinating by writing this blog to explain to you, my dear
readers, why there will probably be fewer blogs this week, since I need
hibernate in order to write the play that I'm procrastinating, by writing this blog to you about the play that I...<br /><br />And so forth.<br /><br />Wish me luck! Here we go!<br />
<br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-favorite-theater-of-2017.html?spref=fb"><img alt="https://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-favorite-theater-of-2017.html?spref=fb" border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="852" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbtOtQggEAZZIwGcOqeJS-KekzKJKeJadYIVSOZ6cDkXbICSOZol5nCPpGnygqB-I-oJ1ET43X1JsjsQ31RhChWj-83pHeRcuz9caxrmiQmSJxpKQ3baKiZ4PIBHP6U9ared8FH_0JWNl/s640/FB+Personal+COH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-35512749377603521532018-01-14T13:15:00.000-08:002018-01-29T13:59:03.966-08:00Frilly Curtains in a Post-Apocalyptic WorldWith all the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang">Sturm und Drang</a> surrounding <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/%23metoo">#MeToo</a>, and with even Margaret Atwood being taken to task for being a "<a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/am-i-a-bad-feminist/article37591823/">bad feminist</a>" because she calls for <a href="https://www.timesupnow.com/">justice</a> rather than retribution (although <i>reparation </i>is never a bad thing, bravo to <a href="https://www.spin.com/2018/01/dan-harmon-sexually-harassment-community-writer-megan-ganz-podcast/">Dan Harmon</a> and <a href="http://deadline.com/2018/01/mark-wahlberg-michelle-williams-timesup-donation-million-and-one-half-donation-all-the-money-in-the-world-1202242504/">Mark Whalberg</a>), and as we suss out new social norms that call for respect rather than exploitation (trigger warnings as I'm looking <i>pointedly</i> at you, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html">James Franco</a> and <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/01/aziz-ansari-accused-of-sexual-misconduct">Aziz Ansari</a>), I want to talk about what truly matters:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b> In a post-apocalyptic world, there will be frilly curtains.</b></blockquote>
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Hear me out:<br />
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The first moment I knew I couldn't trust <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix"><i>The Matrix</i></a> movies - well, ok, the umpteenth-million-time I knew - was at my first glimpse of the sole remaining human city, bearing the extremely subtle name of Zion. Which, to be frank, looked like pretty much every post-apocalyptic city Hollywood has ever dreamed up, which is to say: plain, drab, grey, angular and <i>entirely without curtains</i>.<br />
<br />
"Ah well," I thought. "They are probably new refugees to this city. They've only just arrived."<br />
<br />
But no, I was told by the movie in no uncertain terms, Zion had been around for at least a few generations.<br />
<br />
"Ah," I thought, "perhaps Zion somehow has...no families? No children? No women? Perhaps everyone is a soldier, and Trinity is merely part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kLGYI8vQU">Smurfette Principle</a>?"<br />
<br />
But no, the movie showed me, not only had Zion been around for a bit, but there were families who were more likely to staff the proverbial Death Star Canteen than man the battle stations.<br />
<br />
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<br />
"Then <i>surely</i>," I thought at the film, nearly rising from my chair with revolutionary zeal, my unfurled flag gripped firmly in anticipation of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8PiqIXEjQ">five-part, flash mob singing</a> (which is the only <i>proper</i> way of declaring independence, as every student of popular culture knows). "<i>Surely</i>," I thought with growing fervor and the certainty of a thousand <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/emilycasnyder/">Pinterest</a> boards. <b>"SURELY, there must be curtains!</b><br />
<br />
"After all," I declaimed silently at the screen, while all around me fanboys and girls slept in the velvet seats and dreamt dreams where they'd gone to see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_film">Lord of the Rings</a> instead, "after all, although I - a woman - am not normally a nester by nature, yet <i>even I</i>, when confronted with the drab cement wall of the public school system; <i>even I</i>, who would rather stab my eye out with a needle than use one to mend a sock; <i>even I </i>who, when enslaved by the padded walls of the soul-sucking cubicle at least have colored push-pins; <i>EVEN I</i>, to whom <i>Home and Gardens</i> is anathema and kitch is cause for immediate <span class="dbox-bold" data-syllable="os·tra·ci·za·tion, ">ostracization</span>; <b>even I </b>would have made a damn <i>flower</i> out of <i>scattered bits of paper</i> and put up SOMETHING CUTE.<br />
<br />
"<b>BY GOD!," </b>I thought, with all the passion of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RhI1vERr-0">Scarlett O'Hara</a> in the ruins of Tara, or <a href="https://youtu.be/eTKhw-v5h2I">Carol Burnett</a> in the curtains of the same, "should the world ever collapse, as every summer Hollywood promises it will, and man rebuilds again, if there is <i>even one person</i> of good will among them, there shall be curtains! Let one person but retain the memory of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGABqdbtQnA">Maria von Trapp</a>, and lo! There shall be curtains. At the first smell of apples and the thought of apple pie, there shall be curtains.<i> </i>Death shall come on his white horse, and he shall bear <a href="https://www.quotes.net/mquote/722338">lacy, gently wafting curtains</a>. And this shall be a sign to ye: that <i>the world shall be recivilized</i>, and <b>behold:</b> THERE SHALL BE CURTAINS!"<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxg9LRTBp09xQqw8mH4I-ohJI4vPX655T_NG-E-1T5aEjzqM07joCJhF7G5KfUWNJOEhIOWV9fyXuBTLhRyYY40W_6kVxmQDy0BsxVz9GNLzH0_6CzozIR6dBf29B67jXhFyVcxwiZ1h9/s1600/apocalypse.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="245" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxg9LRTBp09xQqw8mH4I-ohJI4vPX655T_NG-E-1T5aEjzqM07joCJhF7G5KfUWNJOEhIOWV9fyXuBTLhRyYY40W_6kVxmQDy0BsxVz9GNLzH0_6CzozIR6dBf29B67jXhFyVcxwiZ1h9/s400/apocalypse.gif" width="400" /></a>And so yea, and verily, and by all that is holy, and by everything true, I say unto those who cower in the thought of impending personal apocalypses for those who wallowed in the depths or shallows of sexual predation:<br />
<br />
Look up! And be of good cheer! We bring great tidings of good news! For unto ye, there shall be curtains.<br />
<br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
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<b>Want more Pop Feminist blogs? Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!<br /><br />Check out: "<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-greatest-showman-and-other-woman_28.html">The Greatest Showman and 'The Other Woman'</a>" and</b><br />
<b>"<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/star-wars-return-of-stakes-or-failure.html">Star Wars: The Return of the Stakes; or the Failure Frontier</a>"</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-80980188792443367322018-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:002018-01-29T14:02:32.979-08:0015 Minute Classroom: Let's Judge Hollywood! Or, Let's Heal Ourselves<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you know why I wore my clothes today?<br />
Such an enigma.</td></tr>
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In the words of Inigo Montoya: "Lemme 'splain...no, there is too much. Let me sum up."
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Every judgement you make on someone else's intent, is actually going to be an invitation for you to look deeper into yourself."
</blockquote>
A brief vlog on reactions to women wearing gowns at this year's Golden Globes.<br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
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<b>Help us reach our next goal and make Wednesday Weekly 15 Minute Classroom Vlogs a possibility by becoming my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a> today!</b> Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-54100325936481239862018-01-07T05:10:00.002-08:002018-04-19T12:09:21.421-07:00What DO They Teach Them At Those Schools? Sexual Scandal at Catholic Universities<br />
<strong>ACTION ITEM: Now you can read and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScouIg8NH4d4M8RMoE3_DsuMEZBRte3q3tWRp7R8Sj09SHYMg/viewform">sign a petition to FUS administration here</a>.</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlcUQPXooNpNeU1dbNTph7QRT32RxoiHPGQALPBxdBgKd_rsFlqrAKnvRtPSD4NeWwt1CRog57hStjdBu3B8DpfHRIvBwYCDdRTAVbKTolxHhJbJeG0xgY9DnOK6R2mnUXJYYEQtLe6vC/s1600/witch+monty+python.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlcUQPXooNpNeU1dbNTph7QRT32RxoiHPGQALPBxdBgKd_rsFlqrAKnvRtPSD4NeWwt1CRog57hStjdBu3B8DpfHRIvBwYCDdRTAVbKTolxHhJbJeG0xgY9DnOK6R2mnUXJYYEQtLe6vC/s1600/witch+monty+python.PNG" /></a>"Cite your source!"<br />
<br />
That was the constant refrain for four years of taking the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_books">Great Books Honors</a> program at my alma mater, <a href="http://franciscan.edu/">Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH</a> (FUS).<br />
<br />
"Cite your source!"<br />
<br />
It was a great way to force the resident long-winded student who had actually done the a close reading of, say, the entirety of Thomas Hobbes' <i>Leviathan</i>, to give you enough time to skim the part he was going on about, glance at the bits you'd managed to underline, and formulate a thought sufficient to throw out to satisfy your professor.<br />
<br />
Of course, as soon as you'd asserted something, someone else who was frantically looking for a quote themselves would cry out:<br />
<br />
"Cite your source!"<br />
<br />
And the game would continue.<br />
<br />
However, it's a valuable lesson, particularly in this age when the majority of men I know are looking back at #metoo and yelling: "<a href="http://reason.com/archives/2017/12/27/metoo-is-turning-into-a-witch-hunt">WITCH HUNT</a>! Women can just run up behind you and <i>git</i> you now! Innocent men are falling left and right! <i><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/7n9x7f/metoo_is_turning_into_a_witchhunt/">Anything can happen</a>!</i>" <br />
<br />
To which I would like to reply, calmly but seriously:<br />
<i> </i><br />
"Cite your source."<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Just the Facts, Ma'am</b><br />
<br />
A few days ago, Professor <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/author/stephen-m-krason">Stephen M. Krason</a>, the director of Ethics in Public Life at the Vertias Center, which is housed at Franciscan University, published a controversial piece in <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/">Crisis Magazine</a>, a Catholic publication with increasingly far-right politics. In <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2018/sexual-harassment-crisis">What Sexual Harassment "Crisis"?</a>, Krason essentially attempts to roll back any influence of #metoo, writing - without citation - in his third sentence:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"First, it is troubling that in the minds of the media and political
powers that be in Washington mere allegations—<i>often backed up by nothing
more than the fact that a woman, often out of the blue, made them</i>—are
held to equal proof." (Emphasis mine.)</blockquote>
<br />
What follows from there is the usual witch hunt rhetoric - including some tone-deaf support for Roy Moore, stating - once again without citation - that :<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[T]here was no firm evidence that he did anything untoward, there were
inconsistencies in the claims made...and some of the allegations—such as a
thirty-something man seeking the affections of teenaged girls—were
hardly an issue in the culture of that time and place."</blockquote>
Immediately following this, Krason prophecies that this witch hunt (my term, not <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2018/sexual-harassment-crisis">his</a>) will lead to:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Today it’s sexual harassment concerning which mere allegation is held to
be proof. Tomorrow, it will move onto other things, until we end up
having moral confusion, an undermining of law, injustices left and
right, and a society of deepened inter-personal suspicion that comes to
resemble something like Hobbes’ state of nature." </blockquote>
Without even a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_nature#Thomas_Hobbes">Wikipedia-level citation of Hobbes</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>A Cover-Up of a Cover-Up</b><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, in an equally tone-deaf move, FUS's official <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranciscanUniversity/posts/10155799393461413">Facebook</a> page reposted the article, and were then surprised when alumni took offense at the University's<i> </i><b>director of Ethics</b> defending a man accused of statutory rape while blaming the victims for the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-open-letter-to-my-brothers-metoo-is.html">traumas</a> that led to <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/%23metoo">#metoo</a>. (A moment to shine a *ahem* <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abuse_scandal_in_the_Catholic_archdiocese_of_Boston">Spotlight</a> </i>on the Church and her relation to pedophiles, etc. Yes, we've purged, thank God. Yes, we're <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/21/the-churchs-conscience-came-a-bit-late-pope-francis-acknowledges-catholic-churchs-bad-practices-during-the-sex-abuse-crisis/?utm_term=.bf3d664d078f"><i>rather sensitive</i></a>.)<br />
<br />
Alumni replied back, bringing up the case against a <a href="https://www.franciscan.edu/faculty/macre-albert/">married professor</a> still working at the university who has been known to solicit sex regularly from his undergraduate students at a local bar. Students have attempted to report him for harassment, and have been systematically silenced by the <a href="https://www.knowyourix.org/college-resources/title-ix/">Title IX</a> representatives at the University.<br />
<br />
These accusations were silenced a second time when they were dead
deleted from the Facebook thread, which had since removed the link and
replaced it with the following note: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ytfd_eQOapxSkyJNE8PwII8DpvqI_tUrArw3bNubOAddqXPOMS5RIG0b1sEZwuSXCJw-3TgCPnBTA5cejN0hqCUorVMZjW9BABYZv08BlUmJGp6x1GxHKNwrX0m1clzEBRYjAiHsZMVt/s1600/FUS+statement.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ytfd_eQOapxSkyJNE8PwII8DpvqI_tUrArw3bNubOAddqXPOMS5RIG0b1sEZwuSXCJw-3TgCPnBTA5cejN0hqCUorVMZjW9BABYZv08BlUmJGp6x1GxHKNwrX0m1clzEBRYjAiHsZMVt/s1600/FUS+statement.PNG" /></a></div>
Fortunately, the deleted allegations were captured and made public - as reported by Mary Pezzulo of <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/steelmagnificat/">Steel Magnificat</a>, who was prompted to ask the question: <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/steelmagnificat/2018/01/franciscan-university-scared-speaking-plainly-sexual-harassment/">Is Franciscan University Scared of Speaking Plainly About Sexual Harassment</a>?<br />
<br />
The answer, as Rebecca Bratten Weiss of <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/">Suspended In Her Jar</a> notes in her pithy <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/2018/01/sexual-moral-relativism-religious-right/">rebuttal</a> of Krason's article is, "Yes."<br />
<br />
<b>Challenge...<i>Accepted!</i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFDWiVcdhTSkpUyMa2ehmaGAWYWRiBA0i3tV4W_y-z_61m9-vf4sTYEtcQY4a0iVZX3Zy4MHq8NO5-lWtDRc1irpTPOEkBxCe8hB5aWpmZjLfqLVWCZJy3zhh2Y1p9EUdnqxOyEt9L2ND/s1600/willow+pens.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="334" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFDWiVcdhTSkpUyMa2ehmaGAWYWRiBA0i3tV4W_y-z_61m9-vf4sTYEtcQY4a0iVZX3Zy4MHq8NO5-lWtDRc1irpTPOEkBxCe8hB5aWpmZjLfqLVWCZJy3zhh2Y1p9EUdnqxOyEt9L2ND/s640/willow+pens.png" width="283" /></a></div>
What then is there to do? It breaks my heart that my beloved alma mater, where I learned so much, where I flourished under the <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/you-have-to-be-carefully-taught-on.html">positive mentorship of male professors</a>, from whom I received such excellent and safe formation, is not immune to human nature. I am even now being made aware of similar incidents which happened during my blissful bubble years there.<br />
<br />
In fact, the truth is that there is <a href="http://biblehub.com/niv/romans/3.htm">no one righteous, no, not one</a>, and that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmnrXMb5s9Y">evil</a> can creep in anywhere.<br />
<br />
<i>However</i>, as a happy Catholic myself - and as an <a href="http://www.turntoflesh.org/">employer</a> and an educator - I truly believe that it is incumbent upon anyone claiming to be Catholic to hold themselves and their institutions to a higher degree of accountability.<br />
<br />
Hence, in my small way, and armed with the rhetoric and debate I learned from Franciscan University of Steubenville, I can conceive of only one possible course of action. Sharpen your pencils, ladies and gentlemen, because it's time to...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cite some sources.</blockquote>
<b>'Allo. My Name Is Inigo Montoya. You Doubt My Trauma. Prepare To Debate.</b><br />
<br />
For this section, I'll be largely quoting in order from the article and then rebutting. As Krason has not bothered to make his own case, I shall in some places be making his case for him. Because <i>I </i>am interested in actual facts and not just logical fallacies masquerading as debate. (Retracted. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_the_well">Poisoning the well</a>.)<br />
<br />
We will be taking his points in the following order:<br />
<ul>
<li>Dissecting the suppositions and worldview presented in his second paragraph (first three sections), to whit:</li>
<ul>
<li>All men <i>are</i> innocent until proven guilty and allegations are not substantive reasons for action;</li>
<li>Allegations made by women about trauma inflicted on women is invalid because of the gender of the accused;</li>
<li>Allegations may lead to the potential ruination of all men (with implied dismissal of the actual ruination of the abused)</li>
</ul>
<li>Addressing a few of the themes from the remainder of his article (not exhaustive), including:</li>
<ul>
<li>Invoking the statue of limitation, and presuming the erasure of offense - both personal and cultural - through the passage of time;</li>
<li>Appealing for "charity" (read: mercy, clemency, absolution) for the accused (who somehow require mercy despite being "innocent");</li>
<li>General paranoia that the #metoo movement and feminists in general will make it impossible to touch a woman without her consent;</li>
<li>Blaming women - particularly those in the arts - for being complicit in their own assaults with "self-gain" as the motive.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
With that table of contents, onward Christian soldiers!<br />
<br />
<b>But Moses Supposes Erroneously</b> <br />
<br />
In his second paragraph, after calling the repercussions of #metoo a "frenzy," Krason states:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[F]undamental fairness demands that there
be genuine proof that a person engaged in an act—to say nothing that
the act even occurred—before he’s labeled a miscreant."</blockquote>
Krason's desire is for facts before conviction. And certainly, "innocent until proven guilty" is an important tenant of American jurisprudence - <a href="https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=scholar">despite not being found</a> in any American foundational document, including the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript">Declaration of Independence</a> or the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution">Constitution of the United States</a>. The earliest use of this maxim in America appears to have been around the 1800's, and has since been informally adopted worldwide. (See full <a href="https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=scholar">article</a>.)<br />
<br />
Regardless, <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/presumption_of_innocence">presumption of innocence</a> is important for any judge and jury <u>in a court of law</u>. However, in order to <i>get</i> to the court of law, the defendant must be accused of a crime, which requires a presumption of guilt. If everyone in the world were presumed innocent no matter what, I'd be able to go out to my local bodega, smash through their window, and just grab a box of Triscuits right now. Because you <i>must </i>presume I'm innocent. <br />
<br />
All of which is to say, "innocent until proven guilty" is only applicable to a trial proper - not a trial <i>popular</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Dem Bitches Be Crazy!</b> <br />
<br />
Despite the numerous allegations which have been investigated and corroborated, Krason still dismisses them out of hand, with: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[M]ere allegations—often backed up by nothing
more than the fact that <i>a woman, often out of the blue,</i> made them—are
held to equal proof." (Emphasis mine.)</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPetGn0QTbd8fOKcggfdR4WGuygwFgWqF9aFcEisPGWYq7_vPaUGnyht7viPPdq-DmmXP-EbN_JacfEl-YyuO5BwOiWUd_D3xp4WqIhkgV7wDvXvquJaD94F-Zt1piebNLRPp19DbuZes1/s1600/leslie+knope+03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPetGn0QTbd8fOKcggfdR4WGuygwFgWqF9aFcEisPGWYq7_vPaUGnyht7viPPdq-DmmXP-EbN_JacfEl-YyuO5BwOiWUd_D3xp4WqIhkgV7wDvXvquJaD94F-Zt1piebNLRPp19DbuZes1/s1600/leslie+knope+03.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
First, Krason presumes that allegations are not a necessary part of jurisprudence ("mere allegations"). Then he dismisses the allegations, first saying that they were made by "a" single person - when in most cases, there are <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/11/3/16602628/kevin-spacey-sexual-assault-allegations-house-of-cards">multiple allegations</a> with <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/i-believe-frankens-accusers-because-he-groped-me-too/547691/">similar predatory patterning</a>, which is more than sufficient proof for an <a href="http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/matt-lauer-accused-sexual-harassment-multiple-women-1202625959/">employer to take action</a>, much less to put before a court of law. (If that'll even happen. Rather than <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/20/media/bill-oreilly-millions-payout/index.html">paying the predator millions</a> and sending him on vacation.)<br />
<br />
Rather more tellingly, Krason dismisses the allegations because they are made by <u>women </u>which, in cases of sexual harassment and assault <u>against </u>women...<i>who else are they going to come from</i>? This statement alone should disqualify Krason as a person capable of writing on the subject of male-on-female sexual harassment. (If his views on <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/street-harassment-another-misdirected-cause">women's fashion</a> weren't sufficient.)<br />
<br />
However, to presume mere ignorance on Krason's part (which ignorance of recent events would be almost extraordinary), I shall point him towards the excellent and Pulitzer Prize worthy investigative journalism done by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey about Weinstein's sexual predation in the <i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html?_r=0">New York Times</a></i>. Or if he must hear the same and <u>from a man</u> (whose <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/my-father-woody-allen-danger-892572">own sister</a> was similarly abused and silenced), he can read the corroborating expos<span class="st">é</span> by Ronan Farrow in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjx8vv0yMXYAhXxkeAKHU3cAR0QFghCMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fnews%2Fnews-desk%2Ffrom-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories&usg=AOvVaw1PmrATqkVwLNSJKEtbIiyP"><i>The New Yorker</i></a>. Perhaps this is not enough. I haven't time to link every single article from the Fall of Powerful Predators, but <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjtgd3aycXYAhUDUt8KHbRTCzcQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Finteractive%2F2017%2F11%2F10%2Fus%2Fmen-accused-sexual-misconduct-weinstein.html&usg=AOvVaw2BxCw7cFmZD6Q3lRC_IU2H">here's a good start</a>. (You've got to do <i>some</i> of your own homework, Krason.)<br />
<br />
As to the point that these allegations came "out of the blue." No, no they really don't. They may seem "out of the blue" to you, because you weren't looking, weren't <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-open-letter-to-my-brothers-metoo-is.html">listening</a> to what your sisters and your students were screaming at the top of their lungs - or <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/women-believe-other-women?utm_term=.yn2jrOKPE#.ngooNdkby">whispering</a> on shared Excel sheets - but that willful ignorance is on you - as even <a href="https://entertainment.theonion.com/how-could-harvey-weinstein-get-away-with-this-asks-m-1819580384">The Onion</a> rightly noted.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhSC1uyEchOIpGNlVsQdDYA_1TmI14kQ-s2yB5rrMInJmVF23T3u1rqPD1utHa3kXd1IobUqGIy-AUgbXjY77KiZbECLg6919SJM_h3QfwG2Q1pF5nqCX_cbroxtpjVeSczAAUlOxhJn_/s1600/onion.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="675" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhSC1uyEchOIpGNlVsQdDYA_1TmI14kQ-s2yB5rrMInJmVF23T3u1rqPD1utHa3kXd1IobUqGIy-AUgbXjY77KiZbECLg6919SJM_h3QfwG2Q1pF5nqCX_cbroxtpjVeSczAAUlOxhJn_/s640/onion.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truly. It is the end times<i> </i>when <i>The Onion</i> is serious journalism.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>And I Don't Give A Damn About My Bad Reputation</b><br />
<br />
To finish off Krason's <i>first major paragraph</i> (so many fallacies, so little time), he writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[T]he stakes are high indeed:
the destruction of careers and livelihoods, the permanent damaging of
reputations..."</blockquote>
To which I reply with: <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7ikbQsba0lvXYjKhVfLWpE6nGFDUkwaTYct29kDAC5fuHOPTOadgAC80YPUdcUP27crBPlZ8l21G9qIVN9jX8YRV1TlM9H8A4T8fjVyQ3lJon26SX3pgMOcJ4a-z8qZ3_4EA0KjBPYWJ/s1600/tennant+applause.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7ikbQsba0lvXYjKhVfLWpE6nGFDUkwaTYct29kDAC5fuHOPTOadgAC80YPUdcUP27crBPlZ8l21G9qIVN9jX8YRV1TlM9H8A4T8fjVyQ3lJon26SX3pgMOcJ4a-z8qZ3_4EA0KjBPYWJ/s1600/tennant+applause.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, at last! You lovely man.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
YES! Thank you, YES! Women's careers and livelihoods <i>are</i> at stake! In fact, one of the great realizations to come out of the #metoo movement is <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/12/08/the-unsexy-truth-about-harassment/">just how damaging</a> these sexual predators have been upon their female victims' careers. Women will leave a position where they are unsafe rather than stay, often <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/18/16780424/women-journalism-career-harassment">leaving the field</a> altogether. These women will then take jobs in "safe" (read: female dominated) careers which are paid even less than the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gender-wage-pay-gap-charts-2017-3">usual salary discrepancy</a>.<br />
<br />
As for women's <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/15/peter-jackson-harvey-weinstein-ashley-judd-mira-sorvino">reputations being destroyed</a> by sexual predators. Indeed they are. Whether being blacklisted within their chosen industry, <a href="http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/">shamed into silence</a>, or sustaining multiple traumas which leave them in a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories">broken life</a> that no longer allow them sufficient credibility in the eyes of the people...there is, in fact, <i>everything </i>at stake. <br />
<br />
Well said, sir. You are a true American hero.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzJixhn451h2RJ-e9aI4P2IclKcoljiT-JkS0Z3ksaX5d6LQilbIv9Nhc4bJJftdpQGEl_is7v6a5xQU230R-ukn4EEqnsN4N_kUvdNUMicJpzKtUnc8FrI48U2cIURaKZ7DtEqcGLUjp/s1600/gatsby.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzJixhn451h2RJ-e9aI4P2IclKcoljiT-JkS0Z3ksaX5d6LQilbIv9Nhc4bJJftdpQGEl_is7v6a5xQU230R-ukn4EEqnsN4N_kUvdNUMicJpzKtUnc8FrI48U2cIURaKZ7DtEqcGLUjp/s1600/gatsby.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plot twist!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Oh. Wait. Wait.<br />
<br />
You meant for men. You are worried about the men. Not the <i>actual</i> victims who are suffering; but <i>potential</i> "victims" who are of your gender. Just like it's standard practice in emergency rooms <i>not</i> to deal with the person bleeding out in front of you, but to tell them to wait just in case the president comes in with an <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-open-letter-to-my-brothers-metoo-is.html">ear ache</a>.<br />
<br />
Alright, well I'll throw you a bone - and cite your sources for you (wow, this is getting tiresome) - that we have <i>not</i>, in fact, figured out best practices regarding <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/09/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-campus-rape-policy/538974/">date rape</a> and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/05/02/title-ix-cases-resulted-suicide-suicide-attempt-two-colleges-prompt-fresh-debate">rape culture</a> on college campuses. And that, indeed, it is a more nuanced conversation than merely <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/10/how-vulgarity-normalizes-predators">getting consent</a> (more on that in a minute). <i>However</i>, this does not give you carte blanche to dismiss every woman who is finally <a href="https://verilymag.com/2015/07/sexual-assault-campus-hookup-culture-date-rape">brave enough</a> to stop excusing her abuser and declare the truth as it actually is. In this case, statistically, <a href="https://qz.com/980766/the-truth-about-false-rape-accusations/">the odds of "fake news" are simply not in your favor</a>. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But let's get back to that "who to blame for sex" issue that seems to be the fundament of your fear, sir. </blockquote>
<b>The Gentleman Doth Protest Too Much</b><br />
<br />
What's most telling in Krason's article - outside of his utter lack of anything resembling academic proficiency - is the amount to which he seems to tell us about his own fears. He harps frequently on the statute of limitations, he appeals to a different time period to approve of deviant sexual appetites including statutory rape, he demands - in advance of being accused - a measure of "charity" (by which he means absolution) for all men, and then he serves up that <a href="http://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm">excuse as old as Adam</a> that, deep down, <i>the woman</i> is to blame.<b> </b><br />
<br />
He also, and I find this very interesting, seems anxious about what behavior is and isn't appropriate. We'll come to that last.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, here are a few quick takes on his major arguments:<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Time, Time, Time, See What's Become of Me</b><br />
<br />
In his defense of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi0o6vv6MXYAhUEc98KHcGBACgQFgg1MAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fthe-nine-worst-defenses-of-roy-moore%2Farticle%2F2641403&usg=AOvVaw3fsT6sOYR8zJ4PUCK3nMr6">Roy Moore</a>, Krason invokes not <i>innocence</i>, so much as <i>time. </i>To whit, he invokes the statue of limitations, reminding us that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...the alleged incidents happened forty years ago..."</blockquote>
<br />
He then invokes<b> </b>shifting cultural norms in place of a universal morality, by defending:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...a thirty-something man seeking the affections of teenaged
girls—were hardly an issue in the culture of that time and place."</blockquote>
<ul>
</ul>
To which points I answer:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-compassion-chronicles/201711/why-dont-victims-sexual-harassment-come-forward-sooner">Trauma</a> leaves the victim in a state of incapability, much like any wound. Healing sufficiently to be able to come forward may take years, decades, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/since-you-asked-roy-moore-here-is-why-victims-of_us_5a0724e5e4b0cc46c52e6ae6">a lifetime if ever</a>. Your refusal to <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/2018/01/men-try-one-weird-trick-get-respect-women/">listen</a> doesn't help your sister heal. Moreover, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/9/1714334/-Hey-Roy-Moore-no-statute-of-limitations-for-sexual-assault-when-the-victim-is-under-16">there is no statute of limitations when the victim of sexual abuse was under 16 years old</a>. BOOM. Next.</li>
<li>Time doesn't go backwards. Every crime that happened, happened in the past. Just because time has passed - even a significant amount of time - doesn't mean the crime didn't happen. This is so blatantly obvious, I'm not even going to look up a physics article on how time works. I'm just going to give you:</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52xB1XPWp9fFBRKs0mX6mHMKQ95JobrzVOlVUfJ7XTAN0wdX5zqey2MAa7RHrc497n1mtoSpr5cMlzU1cHXqMwbggLX1-R_GFLmX6cICNvYnbMkjbKiQPH4zisaBEFItw8N8Vr2hm32OM/s1600/back+to+the+future.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52xB1XPWp9fFBRKs0mX6mHMKQ95JobrzVOlVUfJ7XTAN0wdX5zqey2MAa7RHrc497n1mtoSpr5cMlzU1cHXqMwbggLX1-R_GFLmX6cICNvYnbMkjbKiQPH4zisaBEFItw8N8Vr2hm32OM/s1600/back+to+the+future.PNG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They call it Science <i>Fiction</i>...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Finally: </b>The Catholic Church has <i>always</i> stood for Truth against the vagaries of man. Molestation? Always wrong. Abuse of power? Always wrong. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.18b69100e627">TO A KID</a>? I think <a href="http://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/18.htm">Christ had something to say</a> about that. I don't care if it was a different time and place (which it wasn't) and grown men were all legally macking on young teens (which they weren't), as the <i>Director of Ethics</i> at a <i>Catholic University</i>, Krason's argument here can only make me wonder: </li>
</ul>
<ul><ol>
<li>What has Krason done that he needs to support the morality of statutory rape at all?; and</li>
<li>How he can possibly be considered an expert in the field of ethics?</li>
</ol>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOZEdI_cKES45rnC16OrU1mHD3WczeRqVa6IBt8hfRx1SC_ifHsSMFJ0Yz-i_b9iocTqni2O5byoU8Lo8iwk3Hw7dncdH3LY9sLMmomDfrHN7aizvCOwMQ35jAyZyrqQ87HVGKonrHOXH/s1600/john+paul+ii.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="674" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOZEdI_cKES45rnC16OrU1mHD3WczeRqVa6IBt8hfRx1SC_ifHsSMFJ0Yz-i_b9iocTqni2O5byoU8Lo8iwk3Hw7dncdH3LY9sLMmomDfrHN7aizvCOwMQ35jAyZyrqQ87HVGKonrHOXH/s400/john+paul+ii.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even John Paul II is judging you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>If I Speak With Prophetic Tongue, But Have Not Love...</b> <br />
<br />
The guilty man always desires mercy. In fact, only the truly guilty <i>require</i> mercy. So it's interesting that Krason's next grammatically tortured appeal is:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...[E]ven without anything like probable cause as a threshold so as to
determine if anything happened in the first place and if it could
reasonably be believed that a person did anything wrong hardly bespeaks
charity."</blockquote>
Putting aside that Krason is still advocating mercy for <i>potential </i>victims over assistance for the <i>actual</i> wounded, it's worthy to note that he's using "charity" to mean "mercy," "leniency" or even "absolution" here - <i>not</i> charity. Charity is something far more awesome and awful. Charity is doing good for the other person - not indulging evil habits, but doing what is actually <i>good</i> for the soul of the other. Charity is the love God has for us, which St. Peter defines in <a href="http://biblehub.com/niv/hebrews/12.htm">Hebrews</a> as:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Endure your trials as 'discipline;' God treats you as sons. For what 'son' is there whom his father does not discipline?"</blockquote>
If we have learned <i>anything</i> from the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/special-reports/2002/01/31/scores-priests-involved-sex-abuse-cases/kmRm7JtqBdEZ8UF0ucR16L/story.html">priest scandals</a>, it is this: <br />
<br />
Charity, <i>true</i> charity, is to remove predators from their positions <i>and</i> to give them the opportunity to heal from their own wounds <i>away</i> from those they would otherwise victimize. True charity is not to allow Weinstein and ilk to remain in power, but to face their own demons. True charity, again, is not to put Weinstein and his ilk <i>back</i> where they first fell, but to find new avenues for them - if possible - away from their temptations.<br />
<br />
<b>How Can I Touch You? Let Me Count the Ways</b><br />
<br />
Which brings us at last to Krason's central fear. Which is a fear that I've seen echoed through many of my brothers' talk: that is, "How Far Is Too Far?" As Krason writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"If anything has been apparent from the recent exposés, it is that what
constitutes 'sexual harassment' is up for grabs."</blockquote>
<br />
Give me a second to cite his source for him. My GOD, man. Learn to Google if you're going to be published in a nationally recognized magazine. But here you go, from the <a href="https://www.barna.com/research/behaviors-americans-count-as-harassment/">Barna Group</a>. I'll even put the main chart here so you don't have to expend any energy clicking on things.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl1YoTvs1xv7yhP5tv1xl-Q2LyjAPabEJnLfbEFinWv4xgiXLp1uiJtf5Odo9wbK5Tw62aSlai07EV-_XHk3Mf3ITnWo6by_N7EM9Z2fFy2KoYE7w08JMlWOBiHL5S6T9xIvHlt9JQfnW/s1600/barna+sexhar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="788" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl1YoTvs1xv7yhP5tv1xl-Q2LyjAPabEJnLfbEFinWv4xgiXLp1uiJtf5Odo9wbK5Tw62aSlai07EV-_XHk3Mf3ITnWo6by_N7EM9Z2fFy2KoYE7w08JMlWOBiHL5S6T9xIvHlt9JQfnW/s640/barna+sexhar.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
Krason goes <i>on</i>, just like the young, persistent, not-taking-no-for-a-GD-<i>answer</i> strawman he posits:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Directly on point with sexual harassment, we are seeing
feminists and some others pushing an expansive definition of rape that
goes well beyond what has always been understood. We’re now even told
that it’s sexual harassment for a young man to keep asking a young,
unattached woman for a date if she keeps saying no. Didn’t at one time
we think that gentle persistence would pay off in the end for both
parties, that the woman might change her mind over time and wish that
she had responded positively sooner?"</blockquote>
<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-open-letter-to-my-brothers-metoo-is.html">Yesterday, I wrote in fear and trembling about some<i>, some</i> of my traumas</a>. After I wrote it, I was thinking about the guys who pursued me relentlessly and with my <i>extremely vocal negative</i> for <i>years</i> in middle and high school.<br />
<br />
I hadn't even bothered to put those guys on the list. Let me reiterate this: <i>I didn't bother to put my long-term stalkers on the list. </i>But if you'd like me to open that wound, too, I suppose we can.<br />
<br />
However, as I learned at Franciscan University's Theatre Program, it only takes a moment to ask: "May I?" <br />
<br />
And even my six year old nephew knows that "No" means "No."<br />
<br />
<b>She Had It Coming</b><br />
<br />
And so we arrive - after his diminishment of women's voices on their own behalf, after his strawman argument about <i>possible</i> victimhood of men rather than <i>actual</i> victimization of women, after his appeal to Time as the great eraser and gentle excuser of bad deeds, his angry demand for mercy (curious for an innocent to desire), after his complaining that he doesn't get to play with me as a toy and fling his arm around me for a photograph if I do not wish it...<br />
<b> </b><br />
Ah. Yes. We come to the <i>coup de grâce </i>of any poorly "argued" article that's given national release:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It's all her fault.</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1V7QgwhWX7SJ_rMKNo-fixgE9McwNdpkQqYCm2HxNXazJX3f9Ib-Q3x2yujiNK6YC7Dr-FnKURKYZNv6zE8ixvAB2yBn9I4ezTvjbigGT1xJseoqSqjsi9e9kJrtHmP7PwEjqi4VoebrD/s1600/tina+fey+eye+roll.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1V7QgwhWX7SJ_rMKNo-fixgE9McwNdpkQqYCm2HxNXazJX3f9Ib-Q3x2yujiNK6YC7Dr-FnKURKYZNv6zE8ixvAB2yBn9I4ezTvjbigGT1xJseoqSqjsi9e9kJrtHmP7PwEjqi4VoebrD/s1600/tina+fey+eye+roll.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the tenured professor who makes you buy his self-published $300 book, <br />
and won't let girls sit in the first three rows if they're wearing skirts <br />
(<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranciscanUniversity/posts/10155799393461413">citation in comments - which comments have since been deleted</a>)<br />
concludes his "argument" with playground nonsense,<br />
the only appropriate response is this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To...sigh...<i>quote</i> the man:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Speaking of self-interest, it’s noteworthy that some of the accusers of
recent months—from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and media—say
that they tolerated the harassment or agreed to provide sexual favors
for fear that their careers would otherwise not advance. Were their
careers more important to them than sexual virtue? Can’t they truly be
viewed, at least to some degree, as cooperators with wrongdoing?"</blockquote>
Sir: <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a4.htm">Freedom and Duress</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>We've Got a Long Way, Baby</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I am not going to change Krason's mind with this article. And it's
doubtful whether Steubenville will step up to the plate to clean house,
and truly live out her mission as a city on the hill.<br />
<br />
But two
things are for sure: We women have borne this for too long. And,
gents? <a href="https://aleteia.org/2018/01/03/advice-for-2018-shut-up-about-what-you-dont-really-know/">If you want to help</a>, we always love a Samwise Gamgee.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT3I1wJ2DH2t3S21ZvIPQ3WsToK9kP8qE9eEoJ-9cOwLmkH5hZ2CnHkeX2U8sNApvce6VjTKBOgnpj946lkH6x-kI4PabLKi2z817mKrPay-AmcOCxschHP76M-3_lF4nJapAoYCKWi9G/s1600/samwise.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT3I1wJ2DH2t3S21ZvIPQ3WsToK9kP8qE9eEoJ-9cOwLmkH5hZ2CnHkeX2U8sNApvce6VjTKBOgnpj946lkH6x-kI4PabLKi2z817mKrPay-AmcOCxschHP76M-3_lF4nJapAoYCKWi9G/s1600/samwise.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Correction: Thomas Hobbes was incorrectly called John Hobbes. This is due to the author always thinking of John Locke when she starts fuming about the Age of Enlightenment. Hobbes is now Thomas, as he was originally christened.</i><br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2rNMlFSWKA96y_9ZW7ZkCLvBAJCXPfpsRjColeE1F1Xd5PBTIRA4gZf17RkzndkfWDBXkgrELHc0jfpP3byh8bhJV-hjaplz1s0NnZx5zSMUfMJu-bmD6iMetraKcLU_hIbueL_VutBO/s1600/Patreon.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="656" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2rNMlFSWKA96y_9ZW7ZkCLvBAJCXPfpsRjColeE1F1Xd5PBTIRA4gZf17RkzndkfWDBXkgrELHc0jfpP3byh8bhJV-hjaplz1s0NnZx5zSMUfMJu-bmD6iMetraKcLU_hIbueL_VutBO/s200/Patreon.png" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-25688801373616207722018-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:002018-01-05T15:24:36.488-08:00An Open Letter to My Brothers: #MeToo Is Not About YouAs a child, I suffered several severe asthma attacks, two of which hospitalized me. The second time I must have been maybe nine or ten years old, not breathing, lying in an emergency room bed, while a nurse kept laboriously shoving an IV needle into my right arm and then just as excruciatingly drawing it back out because she had missed my vein...again. And I was <i>Not.Breathing</i>.<br />
<br />
Meantime, like an enthusiastic Foley artist from Hell, someone else down the row of curtained beds was howling.<br />
<br />
I concentrated on three things: drawing in any bit of air, <i>not</i> punching the nurse in the face as she missed my vein <i>again</i>, and trying to tell myself that the person howling was probably having their leg amputated without anesthesia, so who was I to complain?<br />
<br />
Finally, they got the IV in me, put the oxygen tent around me, stuffed more oxygen up my nose, and I had breath enough to grab a passing nurse and ask what the screaming patient was suffering from.<br />
<br />
"Oh," the nurse said, rolling her eyes. "That guy's got an ear ache."<br />
<br />
<b>Silencing the Silence Breakers</b> <br />
<b></b><br />
I bring this story up, because I've been thinking about it ever since I've seen the steady push to silence the <a href="http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/">Silence Breakers</a> who began <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/metoo">#metoo</a>.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2018/sexual-harassment-crisis">complaint</a> especially from my Christian and/or Conservative brothers is that <i>they </i>are not <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/whats-so-toxic-about-masculinity-anyway.html">sexual aggressors</a>. That, in fact, <i>they</i> as white men have been silenced because of their gender and ethnicity. That <i>they</i> need to be protected from what they fear might be a "witch hunt" by those "evil feminists" always out to emasculate men.<br />
<b> </b><br />
And you know what? <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/you-have-to-be-carefully-taught-on.html">Fair enough</a>.<br />
<br />
I grew up in the 80's and 90's with Second Wave Feminism which <i>did</i> play itself out as being <i>against</i> things: against the patriarchy, the nuclear family, the church...even against "feminine" identifiers. And as the daughter and sister of white, heterosexual, cis-gendered, family-oriented, religious men, I have witnessed the men in my life being silenced or belittled from news outlets of popular opinion to, more practically, HR departments enacting policy that got my dad laid off in the name of diversity and plunged all of us - including his daughters - into poverty.<br />
<br />
So, I get it.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing, gents: right now, you've got an ear ache. And right now, your sisters are not breathing.<br />
<br />
<b>How to Care For Your Feminist</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu1FDx1WmFvFE3QI4uVxj66Lkh9pnsyR6hCcYiLNzxZxQCOwhzOhcuC7n_Iujm7u7yDOAWTnX9LDPYf_1q7t0HfY1TVXg9vDXs_gbJVksU6aJpLH-hpAI10gjrYFBgA2NgBn9GpqE0m_w/s1600/ripheart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="503" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu1FDx1WmFvFE3QI4uVxj66Lkh9pnsyR6hCcYiLNzxZxQCOwhzOhcuC7n_Iujm7u7yDOAWTnX9LDPYf_1q7t0HfY1TVXg9vDXs_gbJVksU6aJpLH-hpAI10gjrYFBgA2NgBn9GpqE0m_w/s320/ripheart.PNG" width="320" /></a>The thing about the #metoo movement is that it's built up of decades' worth of sexual harassment - whether overt or covert. It's not something that's happening <i>now</i>, it's a reality that the majority of women have to contend with on a daily basis. <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/Sexual%20Harassment">That we are, even months later, still dealing with</a>. The only difference in October was that we were all brave enough to share this private trauma at the same time in the hopes that you would listen. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
#MeToo not new trauma; it's only new to you.</blockquote>
Just like the traumas my <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/hate-crimes-rising-in-us/4034719.html">brothers and sisters of color bear every day</a> are, unfortunately, not new. I only have the privilege of their daily heartaches being news <i>to me</i>. And therefore, I have the privilege, as 'twere, of forgetting their reality, because it's not my problem. This is a privilege, and have to work hard to remember to <i>listen, believe, </i>and be an ally. Just like that fellow got over his ear ache and went on to live his life without having to think about it again. But every day many women live with the spectre of sexist trauma, just as I live with the fact that I need to make decisions that affect my career based on whether or not I'm able to breathe.<br />
<br />
So I want to talk to you, my brothers, about what you can do now. Because what we need from you now is for you to <i>keep listening</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>The Circle of Trauma</b><br />
<br />
A few years ago, a breast cancer survivor was told by one of her colleagues that the colleague "<i>wanted</i>, she <i>needed </i>to visit Susan after the surgery." The problem? Susan was too exhausted to have visitors. Her colleague promptly told Susan, "This isn't just about you."<br />
<br />
"It's not?" Susan wondered. "My breast cancer is not about me? It's about you?" <br />
<br />
Susan then wrote an excellent article about how to care for people in trauma called "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-oe-0407-silk-ring-theory-20130407-story.html#axzz2kF8iBw9U">The Ring Theory</a>." The general idea is that the person to whom the trauma is happening is in the center, and that <i>only care</i> should flow towards them. Perhaps from close family members or friends. Naturally, though, whatever the person in the center is feeling will have an effect on their confidants, who in turn will need support.<br />
<br />
So, say, Susan is in the middle, dealing day to day with battling breast cancer. Her husband flows support in; Susan can vent out. But her husband is growing weary and frustrated. Rather than close off Susan, or venting his frustrations inward, he finds his own circle of friends and family and vents outwards to them. And so on.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gJVfk5FhVnv0wWtrisaLX9SJ6vbh5b4pfg9QKmsNTgLdSYwGGALheW0nSQ3wXunv1wJRY_JMK43Tu_F4S7wu99YPVF8L9he3CNC700kA8a5PQwC9qFwtclwkKpCf5xVDELTj-4pmUGzh/s1600/vent-out-support-in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="399" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gJVfk5FhVnv0wWtrisaLX9SJ6vbh5b4pfg9QKmsNTgLdSYwGGALheW0nSQ3wXunv1wJRY_JMK43Tu_F4S7wu99YPVF8L9he3CNC700kA8a5PQwC9qFwtclwkKpCf5xVDELTj-4pmUGzh/s320/vent-out-support-in.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://cascadiaworkshops.com/the-ring-theory-of-venting/">Cascadia Workshops</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Care in. Vent out.</blockquote>
Now apply this to the #metoo movement. For <i>years</i>, really since Eve, women have been battling sexism - both culturally and personally. Every woman who put up a #metoo story has multiple instances to share; multiple wounds; their own personal cancers and asthmas that they weren't born with - that were inflicted on them. <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/toxic%20masculinity">Toxically</a>, one might say.<br />
<br />
In one heroic effort, women put up the hashtag. And you may say: well, how heroic can it be to put up a damn <i>hashtag</i>? I'll get to that in a moment. But trust me, it weren't easy. In one heroic moment, every woman who put up #metoo admitted that for years they'd been poisoned, had cancer, weren't breathing. Were in need of being the one in the middle of the circle of trauma - and not the ones caring for the fellow with an ear ache.<br />
<br />
There was response. For the first time in <i>millennia</i>, there was response. Some of the worst offenders were ejected from their seats of power. For a time, husbands, brothers, fathers, bosses, friends offered care in, even as they nervously began to look over their shoulder, worried that any youthful indiscretions might bite them in the bum.<br />
<br />
And slowly - or really, fairly swiftly in the grand course of a bored news cycle - the circle of trauma stopped. As men started up with their old ear ache: venting in, wanting care to come out. OK, already: you had your #metoo moment. Now back to us.<br />
<br />
But...this isn't about you. This is about the women whom you love. And again, we <i>really need you to listen</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>My Day With #MeToo</b>
<br />
<br />
I remember the day I saw the first #metoo hashtag, as I blearily wandered around in my morning routine, checking Facebook. A dear friend had posted it, along with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/919659438700670976/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">now famous note</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too.' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."</blockquote>
I saw my friend's post - a woman I greatly respect - but still scoffed. Personally, I hate memes, and tend to roll my eyes at trends.<br />
<br />
But at the day wore on, and more and more of my friends began posting #metoo, some with their stories attached, I reconsidered.<br />
<br />
My next inclination was to say: "Oh, but <i>not me</i>." After all, I have several friends, too many, who have been raped. Some repeatedly. So yes, #metoo for them...but not...for me? But then I thought further about the fellow who tried to <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2011/12/gothic-travelogue-dont-get-abducted.html">abduct me in Paris</a>, and who forced me to hold his hand and kissed me in a really brutal way, and...<br />
<br />
But I'd gotten over that, right? I mean, I fled from Paris and went into a minor breakdown back in Austria. But...I was totally better. Nope. Nope. <i>Not me</i>. Except...<br />
<br />
Oh, right. There was that guy who sexually harassed me in high school. The quarterback who pinned me against the bleachers and made suggestive comments. And then took the opportunity in weight lifting to give me massages. And who tried to call me out in front of the whole school cafeteria. <br />
<br />
But...but...although I'd been scared the first time, I'd turned the rest of the times into jokes, and even <i>enjoyed</i> the attention by the end, and that excused pinning me against the bleachers and asking if it was good for me, right? Because: <i>no</i>. <i>Not me.</i><br />
<br />
Except that...<br />
<br />
There was the neighborhood kid who looked up my skirt and was generally a jackass. And there was some pretty awful stuff that happened when I was seven or eight years old with other neighborhood kids that I'm not going to go into here, and about which I still feel guilty. Not to mention the guy masturbating on the train across from me just the other day. <i>Not to mention </i>the guy in Italy who groped me on the bus. <i>Not to mention</i> the occasional wolf whistles in town. <i>Not to mention</i> the guy who slapped my ass while I was walking to the train in Harlem. <i>Not to mention</i> the actor who used that one time to try to stick his tongue down my throat. <i>Not to mention</i> that dickwad who used me to cheat on his girlfriend, said he loved me, left me, begged me to be silent, and got off scott free, leaving me to suffer <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-memory-of-roses-allegory-of.html">three years of trauma</a>. <i>Not to mention</i>...<i>not to mention...not to mention...</i><br />
<br />
The subtler attacks. The jobs I'd been refused from high school on because I wasn't fuckable enough for the pervy director. The jobs I'd been refused because I was a woman who knew her mind, and this was a place run by guys in over their heads. The jobs I'd gotten where I'd had to endure being hugged and kissed as a form of greeting, while the men all shook each other's hands. The jobs I'd gotten where I was the only woman in the room<i>, </i>and I watched the job I was in the middle of doing <i>being given away</i> to another man who had just admitted he wasn't prepped for the job.<br />
<br />
<i></i>
So, yeah. Yeah. <i>Yeah.</i> ME. FUCKING. TOO.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Lice in a Tea Cozy: An Analogy</b><br />
<i> </i><br />
The problem of opening up one part of a trauma is that it opens up <i>all</i> the traumas.<br />
<br />
Talking with my girlfriends in the weeks and months that followed, we acknowledged how shaken, how hypersensitive, how high-alert we all felt. How, in fact, by having spent the day examining our lives in the light of #metoo, we were reliving those same traumas - but this time without the safety net of recontextualizing, excusing, or laughing our traumas away.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSxJsQ-nzYtiOoGLIJJpV5uf4fytCZJ0ktqNl88McoxvztxJFUtKu5erc2NLTB7kyQoJQ-dY5sjkCPs2w34LNVdRTegduAby-a1TLwpGlXzc1V9dJ0DNvpl0Di2GqfUncjNNtWCGPxknx/s1600/brain+connectivity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="643" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSxJsQ-nzYtiOoGLIJJpV5uf4fytCZJ0ktqNl88McoxvztxJFUtKu5erc2NLTB7kyQoJQ-dY5sjkCPs2w34LNVdRTegduAby-a1TLwpGlXzc1V9dJ0DNvpl0Di2GqfUncjNNtWCGPxknx/s320/brain+connectivity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This past summer, I wrote an <a href="http://howlround.com/still-smarting-women-shakespeare-and-processing-emotion">article</a> looking at how masculine vs. feminine brains generally tend to process experience and emotion.<br />
<br />
One of the most fascinating aspects I discovered was that it <i>appears</i> that men tend to have stronger back-to-front reactions to experiences, which encourages a man to either "fix or ditch" the experience. To put it in terms of #metoo, and why men might not have noticed what was happening daily to the women around them, since the <i>men </i>were not being harassed (or harassing), it was nothing they <i>could</i> fix and so they ditched the memory altogether. Hence, when they witnessed the <i>next</i> time that same woman was harassed, the men hadn't maintained the previous memory of what had happened the last time, and likely ditched this time as well.<br />
<br />
Contrast this to how a woman processes emotion. Studies found that in general female brains process across hemispheres, as well as storing experiences immediately and automatically in the amygdala - which is the memory and emotion center of the brain. Essentially, as a woman experiences something, it gets filed and cross filed with every previous association of similar experiences, which then encourages whatever action she has deemed fittest from all her previous experiences. To put it in terms of #metoo, every time a woman experiences sexual harassment, it goes to the same memory bank as the previous one. So that to access that one time that one guy did that one thing is to access <i>every </i>time that particular trauma was stored. And then to enact whatever her coping mechanism might be - generally, making the trauma "safe" not only from herself, but also from <i>you</i>, my dear brothers.<br />
<br />
To use an analogy:<br />
<br />
Imagine that every time a traumatic occurrence happens it's a piece of lice.<br />
<ul>
<li>A man's brain is generally wired to either accept the lice or to disregard it and pretend there were never any lice at all.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A woman's brain is generally wired not to ditch the lice, but to keep and "make safe" the lice - possibly by knitting a nice tea cozy and covering over every little bug. The woman keeps having men fling lice on her. No problem. She pops it in the tea cozy. And it's like no one has to know and everything is <i>fine</i>. Another lice? No problem. Laugh it off. And it's <i>funny</i> to have lice. And let's just pop that in the tea cozy, shall we? And so on and so on.</li>
</ul>
And it's <i>easy</i>, isn't it my brothers, to pretend we all like lice.<br />
<br />
But on the day of #metoo, one by one we women took off those tea cozies, and had to deal with every wriggling worm that life had shoved on us. And some were so monstrous, we were able to tear them down (for now). And others...well, gentlemen, I imagine if you're afraid of a witch hunt, it's because you're wondering whether the girl you pinned up against the lockers in high school remembers, and whether she was thinking of you while she typed out, in fear and trembling:<br />
<br />
#me.fucking.too.<br />
<br />
<b>A New Hope</b><br />
<br />
Ultimately, we're going to need new legislation that favors victims rather than protecting predators. Hopefully, that legislation will start to be enacted this year. But in the meantime, my brothers, I'm going to challenge you to step up to the plate...and do nothing.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> Listen</i>. Care in, vent out. </blockquote>
Just because a few months have passed, and we've chopped off a hydra head or two, doesn't mean the battle's done. Far from it. And you know what? That girl you groped, that woman whose "No," you didn't respect, or just this blogger you're calling names in the comments...<i>we're gonna forgive the Hell outta you</i>.<br />
<br />
Eventually.<br />
<br />
Maybe not today.<br />
<br />
And only if you're sorry.<br />
<br />
But for God's sake: <i>keep listening</i>.<br />
<br />
Because the tea cozy has come off, we've got some things to say.<br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-15221246639541187242017-12-31T15:11:00.002-08:002018-01-04T21:32:21.815-08:00The Year of Letting Go: 2017<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've lost the most of me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a bag of clothes by my front door.<br />
<br />
Full of clothes now grown monstrously large on me. Excellent clothes. Beautiful clothes. Well-tailored clothes. The end of an era.<br />
<br />
I haven't yet brought them down to the Salvation Army. In part because I'm lazy. In part because I'm impecunious and don't have the $10 to take a cab. In part because I've already brought down about seven bags this year alone, cleaning out my wardrobe so that only two items remain, in addition to the twenty or so bags and boxes I've given away in the past three years.<br />
<br />
Largely, though, the bag remains waiting at the door because of this last part: <b>it's a hard thing to give away everything you had.</b> Especially when you've lived your life in poverty, so that the default thought is: "Just In Case!" But also, having my lived as a fat woman, the pernicious whisper: "<i>Just in case.</i>"<br />
<br />
<b>Let It Go, Let It Go (No, But Seriously - DROP IT, Woman)</b><br />
<br />
As I wrote elsewhere, and as is hard for this perfectionist to believe, <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/star-wars-return-of-stakes-or-failure.html">there's a power in losing</a>. Most of you know that <i>the</i> big change has been getting <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/bariatric%20surgery">bariatric surgery</a> in April, and losing - to date - about 80 pounds. (Give or take half a stone on holidays.)<br />
<br />
But I'd venture to say that bariatric surgery was really just a physical manifestation of the work of these past three years. A long three years of <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-memory-of-roses-allegory-of.html">closing doors</a>. A lifetime, really, of learning to embrace the small deaths to the self. Of having the Divine uncurl my fingers, even if that means He has to break them, to take away what I no longer need. <br />
<br />
Other poets and prophets have said it better than myself: the need to die while living. Seeds falling to the earth, butterflies, the process of birth itself which to the child feels like Armageddon. All Creation sings the necessity of <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/08/fear-not-death.html">Death</a>. <br />
<br />
<b>Bigger On the Inside</b><br />
<br />
Recently, while tutoring my sixth grade boys in theology, the perennial question of "What happens <i>after</i>?" cropped up. And I found myself describing whatever particular question ("How does Time work? What age is 'perfect?' <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4IletJ7-Tw">Do we really all wear white robes and play croquet</a>?" Answer to that last one: Oh God, <i>no</i>.) in terms of the TARDIS and Doctor Who.<br />
<br />
<b>ME. </b>Well, I mean, I can only answer partially. After this is just...bigger on the inside.<br />
<br />
<b>BOY. </b>Like Dr. Who?<br />
<br />
<b>ME. </b>Exactly. Or to take another example: try to imagine explaining the ocean to a child still in the womb. You'd be like, "So there's this enormous body of water..." And they'd be like, "Like my amniotic sac, but big?" And you'd be like, "Uhm, no. Much bigger. And there are fish..." "Like my umbilical cord?" "No, no, not at <i>all</i> like that and...um. Just wait 'til you get out here."<br />
<br />
Even so, then it would be a considerably long time before the infant saw the ocean. So you'd try to explain that it was like a bathtub. And they might ask: "So the ocean is really huge and surrounded by porcelain?" And you'd try to explain what sand was, and coral reefs, and how they're nothing like tiles and towels. And those rubber duckies, well there are <i>real</i> duckies, mobile duckies, with feathers, which are like hair? Or skin? Or nothing like that at all. And we still haven't gotten into fish, which <i>don't</i> have feathers - not that you understand feathers yet - they have <i>scales</i> which aren't like any of these other things at all, and...<br />
<br />
And eventually, they'd get into a swimming pool, and you'd bring up the ocean again. And they'd ask whether all oceans have diving boards, and you'd consider that sometimes there are <i>rafts</i> that you can jump off of, but no, no that's not really like the ocean either. And they'd look suspiciously at you and say, "You said there was no porcelain holder. So there's a <i>concrete</i> rim? With steps?" And you'd say, "No. It just begins. And the earth...holds it in. And they...dance. Sort of. The earth and sea and the moon's involved, too. And there are <i>waves</i> and <i>currents</i>, yes a little like when you canonball in, and again, nothing like it - and there are still those fish I was talking about..."<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Essentially, at each stage of life you imperfectly understand the next. And so you cling to what you partially know. Unwilling to trust that there's something better if you'd only let go. That if you only kill what you have, your hands would be open to receive infinitely more.</blockquote>
Different, maybe, but no less "brilliant" than that. (And yes, future blog post about Jodie Whittaker forthcoming.)<br />
<br />
<b> </b><br />
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<br />
<b>Looking Forward, Looking Back</b> <br />
<br />
One of my resolutions in 2018 is to give that damn bag away. To shed that weight as well. To lock the door, burn the bridge, and be the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo">cool girl who walks away from explosions without looking at them</a>. (I'll probably look.)<br />
<br />
In the meantime, what did I lose in 2017?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Weight. Hope to keep losing.</li>
<li>"Lost" unemployment benefits. Which meant that I was forced to earn my living just by my art. Which has included this blog, and an <a href="http://howlround.com/still-smarting-women-shakespeare-and-processing-emotion">article in Howlround</a>, the publication of a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07514NXY3/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503389145&sr=1-1">book</a>, and an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nachtst%C3%BCrm-Castle-Gothic-Austen-Novel/dp/B078JLK4FR/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1503389145&sr=1-1">audiobook</a>, and an old <a href="https://www.youthplays.com/play/the-light-princess-by-emily-c.-a.-snyder-477">play</a>, and the writing of a new <a href="https://aworkunfinishing.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-favorite-theater-of-2017.html?spref=fb">play</a>, and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/15660665">another</a> new play, wrote some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5KojXzBbCTCtYE4a90UBmg">music</a>, had a great year for <a href="http://www.turntoflesh.org/">TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS</a> and my first year on <a href="http://www.patreon.org/emilycasnyder">Patreon.</a></li>
<li>Lost a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad roommate. Gained a wonderful new roommate! (Thank the Good Lord.) Also, can boast new knowledge of tenancy laws. Achievement unlocked!</li>
<li>Lost some toxic relationships. Which means I gained new friendships and strengthened old ones.</li>
<li>Learned stage combat (at least a little). Discovered even this old body was capable of more than I had thought.</li>
<li>And got a few <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emilycasnyder">new clothes</a>, courtesy of kindly friends. Eventually, I'll lose those clothes, too. But not the friends.</li>
</ul>
So here's to 2018 and everything I'll continue losing: conceptions of what's in a police box, of what the ocean will be like, of who I am and what I can do.<br />
<br />
I hope you keep losing, too. <br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b><br />Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-60618993014924268322017-12-28T18:59:00.001-08:002018-01-29T14:02:56.498-08:00Star Wars: The Return of the Stakes, or The Failure Frontier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Warning: The following contains multiple spoilers for the <i>Star Wars</i> franchise, </b>the Whedonverse, Tolkein, <i>Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Supernatural</i> and <i>The Vampire Diaries</i> - oh, and King Arthur, Beowulf, Hercules, Gilgamesh and the Bible.<br />
<br />
<b>Also note: </b>This is long. There are pictures.<br />
<br />
To give you a running start, though, we'll begin with a bit of family history. Cue the familiar scroll...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qrGdidJeDEae3-nfYvJdnJb4votBt2q_82DEADmoc-PZF5k10pf1CHU3efaPtBTss8TssAi-5aHPi1AR_nBS5ZKTxXrYJZqL9NnSN9fsZJmKif7VCDvXNkN4b_Zo85q5FZ-4hpn8PrjR/s1600/Star-Wars-Last-Jedi-Poe-Dameron-Character-Bio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qrGdidJeDEae3-nfYvJdnJb4votBt2q_82DEADmoc-PZF5k10pf1CHU3efaPtBTss8TssAi-5aHPi1AR_nBS5ZKTxXrYJZqL9NnSN9fsZJmKif7VCDvXNkN4b_Zo85q5FZ-4hpn8PrjR/s640/Star-Wars-Last-Jedi-Poe-Dameron-Character-Bio.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm here to look pretty and kick ass. And I just ran out of ass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Right Nearby</span> </b><br />
<br />
My family tree has pirates.<br />
<br />
Alright, we've got <i>privateers</i>, which are just <i>legal</i> pirates, but still: I've got outlaw-rebellion-Browncoat-blood running in deep within my veins.<br />
<br />
The story goes like this: in the War of 1812, the Mackie brothers were fishing off the Island of Skye when they were impressed into the British navy. Not caring for this, they jumped ship as soon as they made port in New York City, and joined up with a famous privateer recently hired by the US Government to stop those rascally Brits. They helped build their pirate ship, the <i>General Armstrong</i>, and went back to sea: this time letting loose upon those periwigged poppinjays.<br />
<br />
However, it wasn't long before the <i>General Armstrong</i> was caught by a fleet of British men-of-war crafts headed across the Atlantic to strengthen the English forces in the second Revolutionary war. The British, recognizing the privateers, directed the entire fleet to give chase, eventually trapping my ancestors on the island of Faial in the Portugese-controlled Azores.<br />
<br />
The crescent moon shaped bay helped the scrappy group of privateers to hold off the considerably larger fleet, including three men-of-war vessels, to staggering success. Among the British, about 200 men were killed or wounded, compared with only two wounded Americans on-board the <i>General Armstrong</i>.<br />
<br />
However, when it became apparent that the numbers were simply against them, the privateer captain gave the order to overturn the <i>Armstrong</i>, set it on fire, and take shelter in a Gothic convent on the island - hacking away the drawbridge as they did so.<br />
<br />
The British gave pursuit on land, but when their captain's threats against the neutral Portuguese government proved ineffective, the captain asked for the return of two men who had jumped ship - presumably my ancestors, the scrappy Mackie brothers. The Portugese refused, the British had to turn around and go back to England to deal with damages, and it's <i>possible</i> (at least according to Teddy Roosevelt) that this delay was sufficient to turn the tide of the War of 1812 in favor of the Americans.<br />
<br />
(You can read a bit more of the history <a href="http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/o/w/Robert--Rowen/GENE4-0001.html">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Pretty awesome stuff, right? Scrappy Americans win the day! David triumphs over Goliath again! Teensy Rebellion army with a nautical <i>Millennium Falcon </i>trump your enormous Death Planet, or whatever you've got going for you these days.<br />
<br />
It's the stuff the American Dream is made of.<br />
<br />
Except for one thing:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It wasn't our actions that won the day; it was our <i>failure</i>.</blockquote>
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Mything the Point</b></span><br />
<br />
We don't like to talk about failure much in our modern day myths. Going in to see <i>Wonder Woman</i> or the latest <i>Avengers</i> flick, or just about any sci-fi franchise, we enter <i>knowing</i> that the good guys are going to win, and the bad guys are going to lose. We enter knowing that our screen will be divided up, unambiguously, between "good" and "bad" - the light and dark side of the force, Heaven and Hell, Indiana Jones and face-melting Nazis, Browncoats and the Alliance - hell, even <i>Gryffindor</i> vs. <i>Slytherin</i>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We like our myths like we like our brandy: neat.<b></b></blockquote>
There certainly is room within mythology to look at the world without ambiguity. <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy makes no bones about the irredeemable nature of Sauron, which in turn necessitates the total destruction the One Ring. In fairy tales and lore, there's a moral absolutism which allows us to kill allegorical wolves with impunity. In fact, I remember the outrage from my kindergardeners, once, when I tried to tell <i>Peter and the Wolf</i> as it's actually written: with the wolf put in a zoo, and the duck still trapped in its belly. Sixty pairs of eyes looked at me with contempt and requested the <i>proper</i> ending: with the wolf very, <i>very</i> dead. (The duck's fate was debated, with myself at last deciding that the wolf burping before his death so the duck could escape was the better part of educational valor.)<br />
<br />
There may even be good reason for savoring unambiguous mythology. As C. S. Lewis describes in the second novel of his Space Trilogy, <i>Perelandra, </i>when Ransom is astonished at the <i>rightness</i> of his truly justified anger at the Un-man; as Christ Himself displayed when He overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple; as so many felt when the abuser priests of Boston came tumbling down a decade ago - sometimes, there really <i>are</i> good guys and bad guys. Sometimes it's helpful to simply remember there is good and there is evil. And we're fighting for good.<br />
<br />
When these are the stakes, of course, failure is not an option. <i>Good-enough</i> is insufficient when your aim is Paradise. And that may be true in the grand eschatology of our souls - but here on earth? Well, Oscar Wilde said it best: "The good end happily, and the bad unhappily. This is what Fiction means." Or, to bring it back to one of my favorite shows, <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbdnLWrKZuLZZ4cdurnNsB1oF0nyPBVR5OLoZ0rWWUgLOgvDKzgSmzlj2jVGoZR5E9JTC2-GaJDH3ao6QalwesjnCLKzAguwffnJPUrxvuczFbCzJaEFGQEQeEHvmVgmKnnwmnkbOdDrx/s1600/lietome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbdnLWrKZuLZZ4cdurnNsB1oF0nyPBVR5OLoZ0rWWUgLOgvDKzgSmzlj2jVGoZR5E9JTC2-GaJDH3ao6QalwesjnCLKzAguwffnJPUrxvuczFbCzJaEFGQEQeEHvmVgmKnnwmnkbOdDrx/s400/lietome.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<b>BUFFY. </b>Does it ever get easy?<br />
<br />
<b>GILES. </b>You mean life?<br />
<br />
<b>BUFFY. </b>Yeah, does it get easy?<br />
<br />
<b>GILES. </b>What do you want me to say?<br />
<br />
<b>BUFFY. </b>Lie to me.<br />
<br />
<b>GILES. </b>Yes. It's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true.
The bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black
hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies
and...everybody lives happily ever after.<br />
<br />
<b>BUFFY. </b>Liar.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Failure and the Fanboy</b></span><br />
<br />
One of the major complaints lobbed at the latest <i>Star Wars </i>outing, <i>The Last Jedi</i>, as well as its immediate predecessor, <i>Rogue One</i>, is that so many of the missions fail. "What was the point of Finn and Rose's side adventure?" they ask (as in this great video from <a href="https://youtu.be/J3gciAsltCw">Channel Awesome</a>). "Why was so much time spent on something that <i>failed</i>?"<br />
<br />
Or as Rob Bricken wrote on <a href="https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-last-jedi-killed-my-childhood-and-thats-exactly-wh-1821429836">io9</a>:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjce66UIWnyjbDRqC02fyX86uG7x4M2SrAFdF_R-lqFROm3vH36YzPYpwt6xhUxgKItgGy2BBgfwk51Z9JctKP9vU28NHz8fdHNPdDBO5XfQGyZ2OgMR8e6JQtugq1kHYCctIxl8xAaI6pQ/s1600/starwarsjpg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjce66UIWnyjbDRqC02fyX86uG7x4M2SrAFdF_R-lqFROm3vH36YzPYpwt6xhUxgKItgGy2BBgfwk51Z9JctKP9vU28NHz8fdHNPdDBO5XfQGyZ2OgMR8e6JQtugq1kHYCctIxl8xAaI6pQ/s640/starwarsjpg.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is perfect. And nothing truly bad will happen after this moment. <br />
Except more winning. By winners. Winning. Because: Winners.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Luke Skywalker was <i>my</i> hero. It’s not that I necessarily considered him the best hero in pop culture, it’s that he was <i>The</i> Hero...When he becomes one with the Force, things are infinitely worse...[than] before Luke starts his journey. Evil rules the galaxy. There
are no more than a dozen members left living in the neo-Rebellion...His adventures, his
sacrifices, his victories in the three movies that dominated my
childhood accomplished nothing, meant nothing."</blockquote>
The underlying assumption, of course, is that age old and peculiarly <i>American</i> belief that individual success is everything. We are on the <i>Hero's</i> Journey: singular. It's not about Goodness itself, it's about <i>this winning guy</i> winning. It's the American <i>Manifest Destiny</i>, the myth of the "Chosen One,"
of the Nobody fated to be the Somebody, promulgated from every Disney
Channel movie to this terrific lampoon by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U7GKdbiA2c">Frye and Laurie</a>. It's very, well, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipTwjwrQYQ">Charlie Sheen</a>. Or in the vaguely plural, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daOH-pTd_nk">Trump</a>.<br />
<br />
The other assumption at play is the uniquely American Evangelical "saved once, saved always" canard, which in some iterations promises us untold riches if we subscribe to a Jesus of magical thinking; which stops existence as soon as we reach "Happily ever after," as though we could force Heaven on earth; as though Time doesn't march onward and demand not just that we choose goodness once...but that we <i>keep choosing to do good</i>. Day after day after boring, green-milk swigging day.<br />
<br />
The last assumption, and perhaps the most pernicious, is the belief that there is no <i>point</i> to suffering. That if you cannot reap, you had best not sow. That success is a zero-sum game, and failure is absolute, unwavering, and eternal. That we <u>cannot</u> learn from what we lose. And therefore, in the Siren song of Hollywood, we ought to be young and rich and beautiful forever and ever amen.<br />
<br />
<b>The problem of these assumptions is that, ultimately, they are selfish.</b> It's juvenile solipsism: the belief that the world revolves around myself (or my on-screen avatar). <i>I</i> must be the hero. The story ends when <i>I</i> am at my best. There is no winning if <i>I</i> am not the one who won it.<br />
<br />
In this view, there is no room for anyone else to succeed - including my enemies. In this view, there is no room to keep learning, keep growing; there is only the pinnacle of immobility, and a future frozen in carbonite. In this view, failure is not just a temporary set-back, or part of every day life. Failure is nihilism in extreme. To fail is to suffer cataclysmic defeat, from which there can be no redeemer, because <i>I</i> am the Redeemer. And what a small redeemer I must be!<br />
<br />
To quote G. K. Chesterton's <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16769/16769-h/16769-h.htm"><i>Orthodoxy</i></a>, addressing the man who "believes in himself":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Are there no other
stories in the world except yours; and are all men busy with your
business?...How much larger your life would be if your self
could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with
common curiosity and pleasure; if you could see them walking as they are
in their sunny selfishness and their virile indifference! You would
begin to be interested in them, because they were not interested in you.
You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own
little plot is always being played, and you would find yourself under a
freer sky, in a street full of splendid strangers."</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>It's the End of the World As We Know It</b></span> <br />
<br />
Which brings me back to the question of myth and reality that we began with - and how to look at failure.<br />
<br />
The privateers in my family "failed." Rather than continuing to attack the British forces, they gave up everything like the Rebellion fleet, and rushed to safety to preserve whom they could. In the end, foreign diplomacy, not themselves, saved the Mackie brothers - and because of that "failure" to keep fighting, I am alive 205 years later to write this blog.<br />
<br />
Nor are our myths and legends full of "winning men winning." King Arthur certainly was the chosen one to be king, but he was not worthy of the Holy Grail. His own sin caught up with him, as his bastard son destroyed the kingdom he created. Yet Arthur is a hero. Hercules certainly succeeded in his twelve trials, but he only underwent those trials because he went mad and murdered his wife and children. We can attribute his madness to Hera's curse, but it's because Hercules accepted the responsibility of his actions that he sits among the greats. Beowulf defeated Grendel and his mother, true, but he died in a dragon's maw. His last act was a failure, and yet he is a hero because he persevered. Gilgamesh, that ur-myth, faced the failure we all must suffer - that is, Death. And although he was a half-god, he could not defeat our final end but surrendered all to it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xxI6o1_2WEIAkAjOAyietIXSDyIxmd5HR2-CzAB3XqYkFOqInpAm46iU7B4Iah257ECkuUgD9FRmtcqxrQHvz7YzweWPN9mKGohZC7iRZv8JrK04b2Jk-pkLQyYNbLusjwQJ7zkBRxGB/s1600/arthur+death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="800" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xxI6o1_2WEIAkAjOAyietIXSDyIxmd5HR2-CzAB3XqYkFOqInpAm46iU7B4Iah257ECkuUgD9FRmtcqxrQHvz7YzweWPN9mKGohZC7iRZv8JrK04b2Jk-pkLQyYNbLusjwQJ7zkBRxGB/s640/arthur+death.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Arthur's death, by John Mulcaster Carrick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Such large and epic defeats may be easier to bear, but the pressing complaint is that of Poe's defeat, Finn and Rose's fruitless mission, the multiple deaths of <i>Rogue One</i>. To which I say: Bravo. Bring it on. And here's why:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Let There Be Stakes!</b></span><br />
<br />
Beyond any philosophical or theological argument, one of the dangers of "The Chosen One" manifesting destiny in a Single Winning Bloodline of "Good Guys"...is that there's simply no drama.<br />
<br />
Amp up the action all you want: I personally get bored of watching
X-wing fighters aiming for conveniently placed plot holes time and time
again. The Prequels suffered the same fate, albeit on the other side of
the coin: Would Anakin Skywalker turn to the Dark Side of the Force?
Yawn. And get your Jar-Jar CGI off my damn lawn. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidM2wwR86-41LHWh_923Qp5uOjB9VoyGtvvNz2hd_v0j1aUVMnjgI-3Ei65usUE3HDEvCp0vb2pBgFRbygBe9PANR-CFg8OeleBU8fo1uBlZJ939oA4KhMwqjaK5wYZi2_EUG_POvDcMu/s1600/Neville.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1198" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidM2wwR86-41LHWh_923Qp5uOjB9VoyGtvvNz2hd_v0j1aUVMnjgI-3Ei65usUE3HDEvCp0vb2pBgFRbygBe9PANR-CFg8OeleBU8fo1uBlZJ939oA4KhMwqjaK5wYZi2_EUG_POvDcMu/s640/Neville.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not the hero, but I'm going to fight you anyway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's my same problem with the early <i>Harry Potter</i> novels: Gee! Will he get through it? <i>Well, whose name is in the title?</i> (Personally, I've always been team Neville.) Suzanne Collins managed to avoid this trope somewhat in the <i>Hunger Games</i> books (not the movies) by writing in first person, present tense, so that although the story was narrated by Katniss Everdeen, since we were reading "in real time," our protagonist could theoretically bite it at any second.<br />
<br />
Falling into this trap of "The Good Guys Are Always Safe Because" is the trope, too common among CW shows of a certain genre, such as <i>Supernatural </i>and <i>The Vampire Diaries</i>, wherein each season hinges on whether so-and-so will get pulled down to Hell and Die Forever And Ever...Until Next Season. Year after year slogs on in a Chosen One see-saw effect of Lead #2 taking Lead #1's place in (Supposedly) Eternal Damnation. So that the following season reverses this as Lead #1 takes Lead #2's place...until the next season where Lead #2 jumps back into death for Lead #1, who the following...so that I end up yelling at my screen: "ONE OF YOU DIE ALREADY!"<br />
<br />
But they can't die. They can't fail. They are "chosen." There are no stakes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rlj6UrjPw_ivMPullKNm-QRXIVLavYVloY_vZ4EBNx2WfUyD69zLH1MU68zcPmOl1HskICxV6x-5XmQDR_7q41g95etA61tmQYiz33gvKsHixsDZefe_tapDiFv5j5tD3gji6j9TsMcy/s1600/supernatural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rlj6UrjPw_ivMPullKNm-QRXIVLavYVloY_vZ4EBNx2WfUyD69zLH1MU68zcPmOl1HskICxV6x-5XmQDR_7q41g95etA61tmQYiz33gvKsHixsDZefe_tapDiFv5j5tD3gji6j9TsMcy/s640/supernatural.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't remember, Dean! Whose turn is it to die?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Compare this to the Whedonverse where everyone is notoriously on notice. In the movie <i>Serenity, </i>when Wash died, just as soon as our scrappy crew seemed to be in the clear, it <i>hurt</i>. It hurt because we, the audience, were on the verge of success - <i>finally</i>. And then just as Wash piloted us to safety like a leaf on the wind, he was impaled. And Joss being Joss: that's it. Should the crew of the <i>Firefly</i> ever get together again, it will be without that dinosaur loving pilot.<br />
<br />
Wash failed. And <i>that's</i> why Wash matters.<br />
<br />
Tolkien is, by his detractors, ridiculed for this "good/evil" seeming simplicity in his <i>Lord of the Rings </i>novels. But his trilogy is never so shallow. Frodo isn't chosen to take the One Ring. He isn't even qualified. But he sees a need and, to the best of his ability, fulfills it. Nor is he successful in his mission, ultimately. It is the <i>failure</i> of Frodo and the <i>success</i> of Gollum that ultimately leads to the destruction of the One Ring. Just as it was the "failure" of Frodo's uncle Bilbo to kill Gollum all those years ago, that ultimately led to the salvation of the world.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>May the Failure Be With You</b></span> <br />
<br />
When I first watched <i>Rogue One</i> - and full disclosure, I went in fairly blind - I presumed that this would be the start to a new franchise. I enjoyed the characters, especially the blind non-Jedi and the new robot (that's how I thought of them, the new <i>Star Wars</i> names being somewhat less memorable than the original trilogy's). As the movie progressed, I began envisioning the pleasure of seeing this rag-tag crew in their further adventures. Since naturally, Corporate Hollywood being what it is, they would never pass up the opportunity to take more of our hard-earned cash. <b>I had <i>absolute</i> belief in everyone's success. Because that's how <i>Star Wars</i> works.</b><br />
<br />
Then - just in the middle of when the Rebels <i>must </i>succeed, they <i>must</i>, because I knew Luke Skywalker and company saw the plans the <i>Rogue One </i>team was getting...<br />
<br />
K-2S0 died.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMB8u8ZKt1a_6JCwgK2QYXL9WVKrL-hzvetHMSkfkKbiLBnTuZTfgoFS4wb3P0H8l1UqE16NSQDWYEaDTf3FRDnewScXBCATsZ58hoHo6WVBpn6CNV5Mcvrj625bsipUXCZnMvo3coJGz/s1600/k2so.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="500" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMB8u8ZKt1a_6JCwgK2QYXL9WVKrL-hzvetHMSkfkKbiLBnTuZTfgoFS4wb3P0H8l1UqE16NSQDWYEaDTf3FRDnewScXBCATsZ58hoHo6WVBpn6CNV5Mcvrj625bsipUXCZnMvo3coJGz/s640/k2so.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O Droid, my Droid.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My jaw dropped. He wasn't...<i>dead</i>, surely. He was a droid, right? He could be put back together.<br />
<br />
And then another one of the crew fell. And another. And another. And another. And the whole damn world exploded. And all our heroes came to the end of their journey.<br />
<br />
And the plans - the Good that they were pursuing as a team - got passed into the hands of other, nameless Rebels. Unknown redshirts (or white helmets) who, despite this, <i>must</i> survive. Because Luke Skywalker had seen the Death Star plans and...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZli_pqx-tN_MNcrM_1x8eQbPzQHCxtY4zJFhBD4lnF85c_TA0ie3lgBrL4rPau8O3Nbq_6wDoKwpxW5uNjvR29oMphr4eoN2YhW5_q-XDn2lYNMxZ5SOEWudPwbdw1vGpZkQRWk6ZbkU/s1600/darth+vader+hallway.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="450" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZli_pqx-tN_MNcrM_1x8eQbPzQHCxtY4zJFhBD4lnF85c_TA0ie3lgBrL4rPau8O3Nbq_6wDoKwpxW5uNjvR29oMphr4eoN2YhW5_q-XDn2lYNMxZ5SOEWudPwbdw1vGpZkQRWk6ZbkU/s640/darth+vader+hallway.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Darth Vader came on: the most horrifying he had ever been. Swiping Rebel after Rebel away. Succeeding on an epic and disgustingly casual scale. Succeeding as the greatest Force user <i>would</i> succeed if small little Rebels were in his way.<br />
<br />
The plans got to Leia, of course, but barely. Hope was achieved, but now we knew the cost.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Success had come <i>precisely because</i> so many heroes had failed.</blockquote>
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>I'm Just a Poe Boy, I Get No Sympathy</b></span><br />
<br />
In the light of this, let's take a look at the failures of <i>The Last Jedi</i>.<br />
<br />
Others have spoken about the political and cultural overtones of having <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/18/star-wars-the-last-jedi-women-bechdel-test">women</a> in charge of the Rebellion, of Kylo Ren's exemplar of <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/toxic%20masculinity">toxic masculinity</a> and <a href="https://aleteia.org/2017/12/20/kylo-ren-the-star-wars-not-quite-villain-whose-temptations-are-familiar/">white male privilege</a>, so I'll leave those for now. Instead, let's consider the details of the plot.<br />
<br />
From the first battle, we expect success. Moderate success, perhaps, a rousing space battle led by Han Solo-step-in, Poe Dameron, dashing around a dreadnaught and taking canons out Skywalker style. And so he does. But immediately after we're treated to the reality of what a small force against a well-armed fleet might look like in reality as Rebel ship after ship, bearing cargo holds full of explosives, implode on themselves. It was <i>Rogue One</i> all over again, as a nameless woman gave her life to take out a single dreadnaught. <b>From the beginning, this was a movie about the cost of a life lived at war.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWRuM-EebhsmgPoGC2tsDHsW8Fs401LKGpOQ75MGW5MzZxmLXfUBfq8uZrDx5sGoiSqaagZTK8sppqvuVLovwOBpOLlpcFnUPXJzV0M6f8_shacO5R_tRM8_EKaDabQBHKzJ_o-FW_ZI/s1600/TLJ-Poe-and-BB8.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWRuM-EebhsmgPoGC2tsDHsW8Fs401LKGpOQ75MGW5MzZxmLXfUBfq8uZrDx5sGoiSqaagZTK8sppqvuVLovwOBpOLlpcFnUPXJzV0M6f8_shacO5R_tRM8_EKaDabQBHKzJ_o-FW_ZI/s640/TLJ-Poe-and-BB8.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything's fine here. We're all fine. How are you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Little wonder, then, that Poe was demoted by General Leia Organa, or that Vice Admiral Holdo saw no reason to trust the man who defied direct orders and couldn't even achieve a Pyrrhic victory for the Rebellion. Poe - <i>epically</i> - failed.<br />
<br />
His further attempts to gain control of the situation, from helping Rose and Finn to escape on an insane quest to infiltrate the First Order via hacker at casino, to daring to mutiny against his superior officer, are examples of faux-success. Poe successfully helps Rose and Finn. Poe successfully takes over command of the ship. Poe even successfully took out one dreadnaught. But through these very seeming successes, Poe was failing the Rebellion. Because he couldn't let Holdo succeed, he was risking everybody's death.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, in the too-reviled casino scene, Rose and Finn are on track to Beat the Odds™ through spunk, gumption, will-power, and can-do attitudes. Who they meet is a hacker, played by Benicio Del Toro who, among everyone we have ever met in the Star Wars universe, is undeniably successful. His allegiance is to no one but himself - and he succeeds; switching sides as will benefit him. The people at the casino, arms dealers all, are likewise winners winning. They benefit from every failure: Rebel or First Order. Even the loss of their space-horses won't really affect them. The "failure" of losing a few coins to the dice won't phase them. The destruction in the wake of the Rebels leaving can't touch them.<br />
<br />
In fact...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The beauty of the casino scene is that it shows the inertia of success. </blockquote>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZIr4bsF-OboE1jaTg8q9eEq2meM0PEZm2vKsYDoAxsGioKa8_g_P6H18mSqf0Im6hyphenhyphenQR0h76XcySGLqZ496dYa_UFCI0XLOTUItX7MJdsbVFTYj7TGgaodiklIWQW3mqUWAknbyMnObt/s1600/casino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZIr4bsF-OboE1jaTg8q9eEq2meM0PEZm2vKsYDoAxsGioKa8_g_P6H18mSqf0Im6hyphenhyphenQR0h76XcySGLqZ496dYa_UFCI0XLOTUItX7MJdsbVFTYj7TGgaodiklIWQW3mqUWAknbyMnObt/s640/casino.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone who should be here is here. All the time. Winning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">A Rey of Hope</span></b><br />
<br />
Looking at success/failure in the other storylines, some complain that because Luke Skywalker has aged and become the whiny mentor instead of the kick-ass hero, he has failed. (They apparently don't remember the whiny kid from Tattooine in <i>A New Hope.</i>) And, indeed, Luke <i>has</i> failed: failed who he could have been, failed Kylo Ren by doubting there was goodness in him, failed Rey by refusing to be her Yoda...just as he failed Yoda by running away from his training in <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i> all those years ago.<br />
<br />
Yet, like the heroes of old, Luke can always learn, always change, always grow. He can be humble enough to listen to Yoda, even when he fails at destroying the Jedi tree. He can fail to survive, in order to allow his sister to live. He can "fail" being the ur-hero, and allow a new generation to take their places in life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEFGFeRGivG92VYv_ZjjJvHnZvAOqv0OotjKZekQXgLwWqpTI17Rp3xYG7sQgd2VyM0VLOdvbFDacIxvdihH40xEb-vA-rgLsHOw1xsRNxt0pdBv_FcsH35JLJSGbyifJ04eM5_8M94qP/s1600/kylo+rey.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="500" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEFGFeRGivG92VYv_ZjjJvHnZvAOqv0OotjKZekQXgLwWqpTI17Rp3xYG7sQgd2VyM0VLOdvbFDacIxvdihH40xEb-vA-rgLsHOw1xsRNxt0pdBv_FcsH35JLJSGbyifJ04eM5_8M94qP/s640/kylo+rey.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One thing they don't teach you in Jedi camp is how to hold a damn hand.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The majority of the tension between Rey and Kylo Ren - arguably the most compelling plot of the movie - hinges on the far more subtle question of: <i>which way lies success</i>? Rey faces the dark side, plunging in head first. Is this a moral success or failure? Kylo kills Snoke to save Rey, but then fails to let her save his soul. Does Kylo's Skywalker-Solo bloodline make him a Chosen One, or is his failure to live up to Darth Vader his success? Does Rey's lack of Chosen One parentage mean that she's a failure, or is her success in her pursuit of her vocation? Further, what happens if they fail to let the past die? Do they succeed if they just perpetuate the evils of their predecessors (especially the return of Jar Jar Binks)? <i>Which way lies success?</i> <i>Who's right</i>? <br />
<br />
Those questions likely won't be answered - <i>if</i> they're answered at all - until the next movie. But in the meantime, we see the similar redemption arc of Poe, Finn and Rose as all three learn that success can sometimes come in the form of following orders, listening and trusting your superiors, failing to die and allowing yourself to be rescued. <b>In short those unsexy virtues of humility. Survival. Putting the other first. </b><br />
<br />
Had they, like Kylo, clung fast to vainglorious rage - to their idea of success - <i>then</i> we might call them failures. But since they learn from when they fall, they transform that very failure into, well...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hope. </blockquote>
~*~<br />
<br />
<i>NOTE: Vice Admiral Holdo was incorrectly called Vice General Holdo in a previous draft. Thanks to Star Wars aficionado Jay Kersting for the correction. </i> <br />
<br />
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<b>Want more Pop Feminist blogs? Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!<br /><br />Check out: "<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/frilly-curtains-in-post-apocalyptic.html">Frilly Curtains in a Post-Apocalyptic World</a>" and</b><br />
<b>"<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-greatest-showman-and-other-woman_28.html">The Greatest Showman and 'The Other Woman'</a>"</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com182tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-84599888882925131132017-12-23T22:46:00.001-08:002017-12-23T22:46:02.763-08:00Hello, Young Authors Whomever You Are<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle5aSxkY_I3N4KB2ARmX0qoP9VoYJNII0fTyZwjNyqfk44kNZ6YqVYvq1lRZMvhAKE1X28UxHwsO4dMtTjkhdgKV51pr1SJRYJ3lKf5-7ijQeMCOcsjYAAHCJ9qdg6ZzJzKAIWE1oc7zf/s1600/NC+Audiobook+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle5aSxkY_I3N4KB2ARmX0qoP9VoYJNII0fTyZwjNyqfk44kNZ6YqVYvq1lRZMvhAKE1X28UxHwsO4dMtTjkhdgKV51pr1SJRYJ3lKf5-7ijQeMCOcsjYAAHCJ9qdg6ZzJzKAIWE1oc7zf/s320/NC+Audiobook+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
'Twas the Friday before Christmas, and despite all the fuss<br />
Emily got up way early to jump on a bus<br />
First hour she slumbered; in the second she droned; <br />
Until in the third she turned on her phone,<br />
Fired up the wi-fi and suddenly saw<br />
Her <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/let-there-be-light-performing-beauty.html">play had been published</a>! She whispered: "Huzzah!"<br />
Soon after the news came in a separate email<br />
That the long-delayed <a href="http://adbl.co/2BXhTby">audiobook was finally for sale</a>.<br />
"Phew!" Emily muttered, and sent out the news,<br />
Awaiting the fun of her Facebook reviews.<br />
<br />
But when she got home to her nephews and nieces<br />
She forgot all about her latest releases.<br />
After all, she was far from her first publication,<br />
And so she forgot to include jubilation.<br />
"It's curious," she pondered, as she blogged late at night.<br />
"But I guess that's what happens when your career is to write.<br />
It's not you're <u>not</u><i> </i>happy when something's come out,<br />
But after the first, it seems silly to shout.<br />
And besides, whatever you're writing <i>at present</i> gives grief,<br />
So something else published is an <i>instant</i> relief.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3hM5pYFvuqoVOKNNTZi8geSIssiPAXnBK2ERchhJWosX0gtNgq68GfKpSGtrMsYUEEnyErvZczIAMkSITTQ3xk5Bhs-jxZz1gfNiii19foYAlAoJ9gHNnbdvq9NnczfyYiS7k6JLQfXH/s1600/Light+Princess+YouthPLAYS+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3hM5pYFvuqoVOKNNTZi8geSIssiPAXnBK2ERchhJWosX0gtNgq68GfKpSGtrMsYUEEnyErvZczIAMkSITTQ3xk5Bhs-jxZz1gfNiii19foYAlAoJ9gHNnbdvq9NnczfyYiS7k6JLQfXH/s320/Light+Princess+YouthPLAYS+Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a>"But still," Emily thought, as she paused on her keyboard,<br />
"Had I been younger, my heart would have soared!<br />
Two releases, one day? My first audiobook?<br />
I should climb on a rooftop and shout out, 'Hey! Look!'<br />
Why aren't I giddy? I shouldn't be lacksidazing!<br />
How blessèd am I? TWO RELEASES? <i>Amazing!</i>"<br />
<br />
The branches outside, though, were all covered in ice<br />
And besides the neighbors thought it not nice<br />
When women climbed rooftops to shout to the sky:<br />
"I'm really an Author! Oh, Mr. Williams...hi..."<br />
So down to the basement she started with glee<br />
To log onto the blog of one Emily<br />
And shout (very quietly) to folks large and small,<br />
"Happy release day to us! And Merry Christmas to all!"<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
<b>Related Posts:</b><br />
<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-i-did-it-publishing-101.html">Publishing 101: You Can Do It!</a><br />
<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2011/10/publishing-101-dealing-with-rejection.html">Publishing 101: Dealing With Rejection</a><br />
<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2012/02/history-of-words.html">A History of Words </a><br />
<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/let-there-be-light-performing-beauty.html">Let There Be Light: Performing Beauty When the World Seems Worst</a><br />
<br />
~*~ <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-4979468002988241192017-12-22T03:35:00.001-08:002017-12-22T03:42:14.649-08:00Let There Be Light: Performing Beauty When the World Seems Worst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOG6XCHHPQtO_MY3tJE6yQ5_UXnM6lJ0KA_q-WESi0O6pFnoTxpha7poDjP39-MXlSCzxF3FI1zxmuZqP9PeBNEzPQD6xyfGNQGQBh6kxaV3bB56fDCrYY7KfTCJzD6BcwO1jmxL3Bfe2/s1600/The+Flight+of+the+Light+Princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOG6XCHHPQtO_MY3tJE6yQ5_UXnM6lJ0KA_q-WESi0O6pFnoTxpha7poDjP39-MXlSCzxF3FI1zxmuZqP9PeBNEzPQD6xyfGNQGQBh6kxaV3bB56fDCrYY7KfTCJzD6BcwO1jmxL3Bfe2/s320/The+Flight+of+the+Light+Princess.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
"Excuse me?"<br />
<br />
The young girl, a high school student from a well-known drama program in direct competition with our own came up to our stage manager, tugging on her arm.<br />
<br />
The stage manager, a high school student herself, turned around. "Yes?"<br />
<br />
"I just wanted to tell you, to tell someone from your show, that your play changed my life. I just wanted to tell you that."<br />
<br />
The young woman went on to explain that she was best friends with the lead actress in her own school's play, which was a dark, semi-classical piece about violence and rape. Apparently, this girl had been helping her best friend out with the psychological repercussions of embodying that role night after night, week after week, month after month. This was an award-winning school after all and, true to form, their dark play continued on for several months after this encounter, trudging its bleak and psychologically challenging way through to the state finals.<br />
<br />
Our show didn't get anywhere near that far.<br />
<br />
We were touring <i>The Light Princess</i>, my stage adaptation of George MacDonald's <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/697">fairy tale novella</a> (now available from <a href="https://www.youthplays.com/play/the-light-princess-by-emily-c.-a.-snyder-477">YouthPLAYS</a>). Already we had performed at our home base, and now our scrappy troupe was taking engagements at the local elementary and middle schools, and bringing it to the local drama festivals. Armed with very few props and costumes, pulling off flying and swimming and magic with low-tech practical effects, all underscored by the brilliant composer and pianist, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/sanatkeys">Taylor Benson</a> - himself only a sophomore at the time!<br />
<br />
We knew that our show wouldn't win. We didn't build an entire set in three minutes, and there wasn't a single rape or "edgy" piece of material to be found. We had puppets and bubbles and ran through the audience with dragon heads on...<br />
<br />
But we made women fly.<br />
<br />
And, it turned out, that's exactly what the audience needed.<br />
<br />
That high school student wasn't the only one who approached our troupe during our tour. Perhaps my favorite response was from a five year old girl who watched one of our performances, sitting on the edge of her seat and gripping her mother's hand while the Light Princess did aerial acrobatics, aided by the other actors, laughing all the while. The little girl - and I know her, I <i>was </i>her - gripped her mother's hand and loudly whispered:<br />
<br />
"Look, Mommy. The princess is <i>flying</i>!"<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNInTT_sD19SAXSJXrWIbqyhJQww07D02C0eqPeuKs8OC5iqxOeWcMq1QobjH4HoDioX5SdwdeQ7dC9rINDSaNssWSgIBuuh_cY6XGQvDKr_T3_51qJDPtpaN6od4vjsOP9l-v-dKZn4x/s1600/Princess+Do+You+Love+Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNInTT_sD19SAXSJXrWIbqyhJQww07D02C0eqPeuKs8OC5iqxOeWcMq1QobjH4HoDioX5SdwdeQ7dC9rINDSaNssWSgIBuuh_cY6XGQvDKr_T3_51qJDPtpaN6od4vjsOP9l-v-dKZn4x/s320/Princess+Do+You+Love+Me.jpg" width="248" /></a>We didn't move on from that competition either. But we didn't need to. If we had only ever performed for that one little girl, I would have been happy.<br />
<br />
Writing, directing, producing and touring <i>The Light Princess</i> was one of those wonderful experiences, when you know that what you're doing may not be technically impressive...but it's deeper, it's richer than that.<br />
<br />
It's about learning to empathize. It's about learning to sacrifice. It's about learning to cry. And knowing that true happiness always has an element of sorrow. Because if something mattered, it hurts when it's gone.<br />
<br />
But ultimately, as it says at the end of the play:<br />
<br />
<b>PRINCESS. </b><i>(Falling down. She has never used her feet before.) </i>Ugh, and I suppose this is your wretched gravity?<br />
<br />
<b>PRINCE. </b><i>(Catching her.) </i>No. No, Princess. This is light.<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
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<br />Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-8001989325212509152017-12-19T02:09:00.000-08:002017-12-19T16:59:18.245-08:00Defining "Toxic Masculinity," or, Terms of Enragement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6k4YxNNvRBtQzh32xTt0ZDuhUBo8virokc7FUnOMfq84-uRzawxGjCyuIFpLanFb8TGhMZN-epX7BEt-DAve4Pnahlsr1rTkjUhoVJKmDRgBf1bvOd1nO0CnK27goaiNJBjFvE2YzJsF/s1600/Inigo+Montoya.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="480" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6k4YxNNvRBtQzh32xTt0ZDuhUBo8virokc7FUnOMfq84-uRzawxGjCyuIFpLanFb8TGhMZN-epX7BEt-DAve4Pnahlsr1rTkjUhoVJKmDRgBf1bvOd1nO0CnK27goaiNJBjFvE2YzJsF/s320/Inigo+Montoya.gif" width="320" /></a>An interesting thing happened on the way to blogging today.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I began a series of posts which will attempt to deconstruct the complicated knots around <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/search/label/toxic%20masculinity">toxic masculinity</a>: particularly in light of the recent <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/12/08/the-unsexy-truth-about-harassment/">power abuse scandals</a>, resulting in sexual and physical aggression, primarily although not exclusively against women. <br />
<br />
I began the series, perhaps surprisingly, with a history of my own experiences of <b><a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/you-have-to-be-carefully-taught-on.html">positive masculinity</a></b> among my male mentors. Men who raised me up, rather than kept me down. Men who shaped how I view masculinity: which is noble, kind, protective, encouraging, challenging, and virtuous.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I expected to be lambasted for daring to say that there were good men in the world. Instead, I was lambasted by men for saying anything <i>about</i> men at all. </blockquote>
<b>Defining Terms</b><br />
<br />
So, let's start by defining terms. Just what is "toxic masculinity?" Is it a helpful phrase? What exactly are we deconstructing here?<br />
<br />
The term "toxic masculinity" appears to have been initially coined by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythopoetic_men's_movement#cite_note-Longwood-8">Mythopoetic Men's Movement</a> (MMM) of the 1980's-90's, which sought to restore the "deep masculine" to modern man. Inspired by the works of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, and not to be confused with Tolkein's <i>mythopoeia</i>, the MMM led by <a href="http://www.menweb.org/blissiv.htm">Shepherd Bliss</a> used the term "toxic masculinity" to disassociate negative traits among men from the good of masculinity itself.<br />
<br />
Things which were deemed toxic <i>to</i> masculinity include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Shame, disassociation, and avoidance of emotional expression;</li>
<li>Extreme self-reliance;</li>
<li>The over-aspiration for physical, sexual and intellectual dominance;</li>
<li>The systematic devaluation of women's opinions, body and sense of self; and by extension</li>
<li>A condemnation of anything "feminine" within another man.</li>
</ul>
<b>Lingual Appropriation and Retaliation</b><br />
<br />
Since then, the term has been picked up by feminists and has had a recent resurgence in the light of egregious actions done by men, from the sexual misconduct of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/arts/television/louis-ck-sexual-misconduct.html">Louis CK</a> to the apologetics for the same from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/16/minnie-driver-matt-damon-men-cannot-understand-abuse?CMP=share_btn_tw">Matt Damon</a>. <br />
<br />
Due to this, there's been a pushback to the term "toxic masculinity" from the modern descendants of the MMM, such as the <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/men-are-calling-themselves-meninists-to-take-a-stand-against?utm_term=.wdJvw7x1L#.cdYWewJg5">Menenist</a> movement, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yesallmen">#YesAllMen</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notallmen">#NotAllMen</a>, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill/comments/7itehe/on_toxic_masculinity_and_selfreliance/">The Red Pill</a>, and others. The pushback has continued through the <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2014/06/17/understanding-toxic-masculinity-why-defending-men-isnt-enough/">male apologetics</a> in the conservative right, largely disapproving of the term because of its association to the perceived <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/pro-lifers-womens-march/513104/">liberal agenda</a> of the feminist movement.<br />
<br />
The usual objection to "toxic masculinity" is that the term may be construed to mean that all men are by nature toxic. Or that masculinity is, at its essence, evil. Of course, for those laboring under this misunderstanding, it's natural that some might object to the term or even deny that toxic masculinity exists. After all, at least in Christian doctrine, all things were created good - including men. <br />
<br />
But also in Christian doctrine, all things fell. Including men.<br />
<br />
<b>What's Your Poison?</b> <br />
<br />
So, by this definition, what does toxic masculinity look like? In my own experience, I've been on the receiving end of <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-room-full-of-apathy-being-sexually.html">overt sexual harassment</a>, as well as systematic sexism in the workplace, too.<br />
<br />
Overt sexual harassment - the boy who looked up my skirt, the jock who made unwanted advances for half a year, the Nigerian man in Paris who nearly <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2011/12/gothic-travelogue-dont-get-abducted.html">abducted me</a>, the man on the subway masturbating on the seat across from me - is easy to condemn. It's easy to identify as assault, and therefore easier to press criminal charges. I say "easier," because as we know, it only took <i>several decades</i> before <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/us/gwyneth-paltrow-angelina-jolie-harvey-weinstein.html">Weinstein's victims were finally believed</a>.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the considerably more insidious toxicity that allowed Weinstein and others to prey on those in their power: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When women's voices are disregarded <i>because they were caught having an opinion while being female</i>.</blockquote>
Take the case of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/theater/israel-horovitz-sexual-misconduct.html">Israel Horovitz</a>, a prominent playwright who sexually abused the young women he was mentoring. Although his misdeeds had already been published in a series of articles in 1993 in <i>The Boston Phoenix</i>, the allegations were dismissed. The playwright claimed "character assassination," while the theatre board's then-president called Horovitz' victims, "tightly wound, if you know what I mean." <b>In short, the predator and his accomplice called the women crazy, and everyone believed the predator and his accomplice. </b><br />
<br />
A similar thing happened to me just today. In posting yesterday's article on a few groups on Facebook, I was told by one man that: "<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Toxic
masculinity is a myth... Knock off the
divisive BS." While another man (not an author) went to great length to give me advice about how to make my blog more appealing to men, while also calling me "brazen" and saying that it was: <br /><br />"...preachy </span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">for a woman to tell a man how to be a man,
especially without conceding that she isn't a man and couldn't possibly
know what that's like. </span></span></span><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">It is additionally awkward when the woman spends a
particularly large amount of space talking about how she engages in
these authentically masculine activities. It comes across as telling us
that you both understand masculinity better than men and actually engage
in masculine activities more than men.</span></span></span>"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">When asked for further clarification about what emotional wound I was striking in my article complimenting masculinity, or what "authentically masculine activity" I had usurped, I was told that he couldn't be bothered - at which time, his wife swooped in to scold me for hurting his feelings.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">This may not be an example of sexual predation, but it is textbook toxicity. Go back to a few of the symptoms of this particular poison:</span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Shame, disassociation, and <u>avoidance of emotional expression</u>; </li>
<li>The over-aspiration for physical, sexual and <u>intellectual dominance</u>;</li>
<li>The <u>systematic devaluation of women's opinions</u>, body and sense of self<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">Curiously, towards the end of the exchange with the second man, I found myself feeling more and more toxic myself. Wanting to hurl such unhelpful invective as: "What? Did I make you cry, girly man? Gotta have your <i>wife</i> come out and tell me to shut up?" You know. Fun internalized misogyny that I carry around, too. <b>Toxicity hurts everyone.</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><b>A Few Good Men</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">But perhaps, O my apparent male readership, you cannot hear what I am saying Because Female. In that case, let me introduce you to Harris O'Malley, aka Dr. Nerdlove, who has <a href="http://www.doctornerdlove.com/be-a-better-man/">this to say</a> about what it's like for a man to carry around internalized misandry. (Section quoted nearly in full <i>with</i> picture, because it's worth reading.) <b>In regards to why "good men" don't believe women when they report being victimized:</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
"One of the issues with being a 'good' man is that it’s definitional. Because we see ourselves <i>as</i> good, we assume that, by default, what we <i>do</i>
is good. One of the reasons why sexism and harassment goes unchecked in
geek spaces is because geeks often define themselves in contrast to
jocks and bullies. Jocks are rape-y, bullying assholes and the opposite
of nerds, so clearly nerds <i>can’t </i>be bullying, rape-y assholes. <a href="http://www.doctornerdlove.com/the-science-of-nice-guys/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nice Guys are the opposite of those manipulative assholes</a> so clearly <a href="http://www.doctornerdlove.com/paging-dr-nerdlove-episode-46-truth-nice-guys/">they can’t possibly be manipulating women to get what <i>they</i> want.</a><br />
<br />
"Once you’ve defined yourself as being 'one of the good ones,' it’s <i>very</i> hard to want to look around and admit that maybe you <i>aren’t</i> as good as you could be. Very, very few people like to believe that they might <i>not</i> be the good guy, and so they’re invested in not asking too many questions.<br />
<br />
"This is why so many men get their backs up when someone points out that they could be doing better. Criticism, even <i>mild</i> criticism, gets taken as a deeply personal attack because hey: you’re one of the <i>good</i> ones.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVI5Z-j8LlMZsYhFSsmU37YDZBwLOk3fYG8pC_kjmX5wykF99GTw_YwB_QrSNhvrq27JdKFwvKsup0_qVXZiznZKiiSAF9u7QGmu0vyz3BmE3i7sR-_mlbBKLQEEgOQem8Ln_6U_ILsw8/s1600/baddies.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="500" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVI5Z-j8LlMZsYhFSsmU37YDZBwLOk3fYG8pC_kjmX5wykF99GTw_YwB_QrSNhvrq27JdKFwvKsup0_qVXZiznZKiiSAF9u7QGmu0vyz3BmE3i7sR-_mlbBKLQEEgOQem8Ln_6U_ILsw8/s320/baddies.gif" width="320" /></a>"And that desire to believe in your goodness reflects not just on <i>you</i>
but the people you associate with. After all, if you find out that
someone in your social circle has been harassing women… well, what does
that say about you? You’re a good man. You’d never put up with this. But
you did. So what does that say about <i>you? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
"This doesn’t happen at the conscious level. Nobody thinks to
themselves 'I’d rather keep my friend who gets drunk and tries to corner
women in the bathroom because admitting he’s rape-y reflects badly on <i>my</i> choices.' What they <i>do</i>
think is that this is their friend. He’s shared their secrets. He’s
invited them to his parties, made them laugh. They’ve broken bread
together and drank beers together. Surely he can’t be <i>that</i> bad, right? There has to be a reason that this isn’t as bad as it seems.<br />
<br />
"And so the rationalization begins. Maybe she was mistaken. She must be exaggerating. He didn’t <i>mean</i> it. He’s not <i>that</i> bad. It’s not <i>him</i>, it’s the drinking. It’s the drugs. He’s going through a bad time.<br />
<br />
"It’s easier to explain why your problematic friend isn’t bad than it is to look around and realize that you need to improve.<br />
<br />
"The other, related reason however is that same system that empowers
men. <b>Men tend to believe other men above women.</b> Many of these scandals
only 'broke' because a man reported on them – despite women shouting
about it to the skies. The fact that Bill Cosby was drugging and raping
women was an open secret in Hollywood. Multiple women came forward to
accuse Cosby and nobody listened or cared. But once <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzB8dTVALQI" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hannibal Buress called him out publicly</a>, the story began to get traction. Many, <i>many</i>
women – especially trans women – were shouting about Milo [Yiannopoulos], but again,
it took a Buzzfeed article written by a man to finally make everyone sit
up and listen.<br />
<br />
"This isn’t to say that they shouldn’t have spoken up. But it’s
important to acknowledge system [sic] that privileges their voices above the
voices (and lived experiences) of their victims."<br />
<br />
I recommending reading his blog, although be warned that he doesn't shy away from language. But for those of you struggling with some wound regarding your masculinity, and seething that I might have something to say about it, may I suggest you go see the doctor?<br />
<br />
Now to those still remaining...!<br />
<br />
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span></span>
<b>A Voice to be Reckoned With</b><br />
<br />
So, let's engage from afar with man number two. Upon what authority do I speak about the poisons plaguing too many modern men? Well, I speak with the same authority as a mother does to her son, or a sister to her brothers, a teacher to her students, a doctor to her patient. A lover to her beloved.<br />
<br />
Because at the end of the day, nothing gets changed without love. Nor do you have any reason to listen to me if you presume I am the enemy, or if I come at you with hatred and a desire for your destruction. No. I desire the restitution - as far as that is possible in this corrupted world - of positive masculinity within men. Just as I desire the restitution of positive femininity within women. (Something that I'm sure I'll be writing about more, soon.)<br />
<br />
Nor do I entirely blame those men who see the term "toxic masculinity" and immediately presume they are being personally singled out to be shamed. The very term they dislike is the very thing that haunts them. The shame, and inability to name that shame, is the very poisonous thing being suffered. The need to keep a certain "pride" by silencing the women - especially the women - who would dare to name the disease is the very thing killing their souls. But it can be <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/justin_baldoni_why_i_m_done_trying_to_be_man_enough/transcript">overcome</a>.<br />
<br />
And, like Wormtongue's hold on Theoden, to return to Tolkein's <i>mythopoeia</i>, it's this very homebody toxicity which must be excised in order to let positive masculinity flourish. Take it away, Gandalf: <br />
<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
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<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com186tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-80387033600578887842017-12-16T23:19:00.001-08:002017-12-19T16:58:01.483-08:00You Have to be Carefully Taught: On Beautiful Masculinity<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cBXAYQaQ1WzmhNlORIbe0BZLcDZy7jYluk-yqXp1AWQEkxR6HXIQX9JsXPy6sAbhfTiMJYkT75lk9hC1UTqQDatBMJLO053FeB2fhE6QkQq75HM1vlB5rOFQFGzs1P6fG_kBRkHYSz_t/s1600/Giles+Buffy+Hug.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="653" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cBXAYQaQ1WzmhNlORIbe0BZLcDZy7jYluk-yqXp1AWQEkxR6HXIQX9JsXPy6sAbhfTiMJYkT75lk9hC1UTqQDatBMJLO053FeB2fhE6QkQq75HM1vlB5rOFQFGzs1P6fG_kBRkHYSz_t/s320/Giles+Buffy+Hug.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rupert Giles from <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>: <br />
a beautiful model of male mentorship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other day, while shooting the breeze with a friend, she mentioned:<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>"There's a correlation, you know, between these frequent mass murder shootings and the recent sex scandals."</b><br />
<br />
<b> </b>"What's that?" I asked.<br />
<br />
"Well, think about it: from my research, the shootings and even these sex scandals revolve around men. Men who are trained in toxic masculinity. Who are told that to be a true man, you can't feel, can't emote, can't want, can't cry. Yet, they still have those needs. So what do they do? They explode: either with physical or sexual violence. They're trying to connect, and if they can't, they destroy. They're trying to communicate, but they haven't been taught <i>how</i>.<br />
<br />
"The question I have," she continued, "is what do we do about that? How do we counteract toxic masculinity in our culture?"<br />
<br />
"Well," I replied, thinking of my own theatrical sons, as well as my educational fathers, "it's really a matter of 'you have to be carefully taught.'"<br />
<br />
<b>From Generation to Generation</b><br />
<br />
From high school through grad school, I had a number of wonderful male mentors. Male mentors who took me seriously, who challenged me intellectually, who went the extra mile and pushed me to go the extra mile, too.<br />
<br />
In high school, my best friend and I were the editors-in-chief of everything (<i>quelle surprise</i>!), which meant long Saturday afternoons at one of our teacher's houses, going through all the poetry submissions, or early Saturday mornings going over yearbook layouts with another teacher who brought donuts. In college, my theatre professor would open the doors of his home<i> </i>to some of the upper classmen, where he and his wife and his growing number of children would chat with us about theatre and life over some of the heartiest farm bacon I've ever had. In grad school, my professor was kind enough to set aside whole hours not only to talk about verse drama, and the future of my career, but also to listen to my life woes and offer sage advice.<br />
<br />
I value these men who gave so much time and encouragement to me, and who certainly shaped my own life and outlook on teaching, mentoring, and basic human kindness. And, in retrospect, it was important to me as a young woman to have these prevalent examples of kindly, wise, strong, and yet <i>never</i> domineering <b>men </b>in my life. Without knowing what I was doing, I was seeking out foster fathers: stepping stones between my own father and someone who might father my children.<br />
<br />
<b>A Whole New World</b><br />
<br />
Something else I also learned from my family and from these men was the beauty and innocence of touch. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
Most of you shuddered at that word, didn't you? Thinking that right now this story would go off into a really dark place. Thinking that I've got something suppressed. But that's not the case. My theatrical mentors rarely touched me, to be honest, but they also weren't afraid to pat me on the back, or to give me a hug at graduation. Since they were largely <i>theatrical</i> mentors, they also facilitated safe spaces to touch others on the stage, to make bold yet respectful choices regarding my own body and my fellow actors'. To ask for permissions as necessary. And then they pushed me to create that same safe space as a director for <i>my</i> actors, even when we were doing challenging and potentially scary plays.<br />
<br />
They taught me by example that touch is just touch. That it is not automatically sexual. That it is a way we communicate. That it is vital. That it is comfort. That it can be safe. They taught me that opening up a home is a beautiful thing, and not an automatic invitation to predatory behavior. The amount of <i>adult</i> I felt when one of my high school mentors invited us into his well-appointed home, his wife out gardening in the back: the opportunity to see another way to live, another way to run a home was remarkable. I remember thinking clearly, one night as an English professor and his wife showed me around their home stuffed full of shelves, before I babysat their kids, "I could live like this. I could live happily in academia forever." (And in fact, for ten years after college, I did.)<br />
<br />
<b>Paying It Forward</b><br />
<br />
I fell into teaching, and therefore into mentoring, by accident. After college, I was fairly lost until a teaching position opened up for K-8 at a local Catholic school. Against all reason, they hired me to teach music and art, and at the end of the year we parted ways. I spent the following year substitute teaching, and quickly learned that I preferred teaching high school over middle school students. So when a position to teach theology at a local Catholic high school opened up (on the proviso that I also run the drama program), I took it.<br />
<br />
I must have only been 25 when, in my fourth year of teaching, one of my male students started hanging out in my classroom after school. The priest scandal had just broken in Boston, and I was teaching theology. We were all on high alert regarding proper relationships. Fortunately, my classroom happened to be in a large trailer that had a wall of windows overlooking the parking lot, which helped a <i>lot</i> when I was the only adult in the room rehearsing a passel of kids.<br />
<br />
As it was still autumn, our school plays hadn't yet begun. So, this student - my first "theatrical son" whom we'll call Robin - began hanging out in my room while I ostensibly attempted to grade papers. At first he asked whether he could wait there to watch for his Mom's car to pick him up. I agreed, since it is truly depressing to wait in the gym for the same purpose, and since he was a fairly quiet student who'd been good enough to tech <i>Brigadoon</i> the previous year.<br />
<br />
One afternoon waiting in my room turned into two, and then several times a week thereafter. So I put him to work cleaning my boards, since this appeared to be a regular thing. After a little bit of time, Robin started to ask me questions about what I thought about this or that life question, and since I hate grading with a passion, I'd answer him. Within a month, he stopped doing chores around my classroom, and just came in to talk about life without apology.<br />
<br />
Eventually, I realized Robin was adopting me. That he was a Lost Boy, looking for a Mother. That I was to him what my professors were to me. And I'm thrilled and teary to say that he's since grown into a fine young man, who's teaching and mentoring theatrical children of his own.<br />
<br />
<b>Opening Houses, Opening Hearts</b> <br />
<br />
Did I touch my students? Yes, I did. Hugs at their successes. Teaching young men and women how to hold a frame in a waltz. Smacking Robin upside the head when after a bitter break-up, he started verbally objectifying the girls in the class. My family's house hosted cast parties, and we all went over to have cast parties at students' houses, too. Because one of the things I found important as a theatre teacher was to try to mend relationships between the students adopting me and their <i>real</i> parents. Mary Poppins, if you will. A <i>lot</i> of Mary Poppins.<br />
<br />
Like my own professors, as the adult I was hyperaware of having multiple students around if I was stuck being the only adult at rehearsal. I valued those huge windows that anyone could see in when there were one-on-one sessions with students who needed to run their latest life crisis past me. When I was moved to another classroom without those windows, a teacher buddy and I always let each other know if a student needed a one-on-one, and we'd leave the door slightly ajar and keep an ear out for each other.<br />
<br />
As students grew into young adults in college, and still communicating with their parents in the days before cell phones, I did give the occasional ride in my car to get a student to rehearsal. And once, as I was out for a late-night drive to clear my head, I stopped and made a female theatre student of mine who was wandering around in the freezing cold at 11 PM get into my car so I could drive her the two miles home, rules be damned, because I wasn't leaving my student out in the cold. And besides, I told her mom.<br />
<br />
<b>Childproofing for Teenagers</b><br />
<br />
It's interesting: as the teenager and young woman, all I knew from my male mentors was that I was safe. I didn't give much thought to this teacher's wife gardening in the back yard while my best friend, our teacher and myself sat around his dining table and discussed poetry. I didn't give much thought to the fact that there were three of us at yearbook camp with our male teacher, or that we all had separate places to sleep. Things were set up in a safe way, and these were safe men.<br />
<br />
As the mentor, though, I was constantly aware of childproofing the relationship. When we decided to give upper body "tattoos" to the fairies for <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, I handed off the job to my sister who's an artist.<i> </i>However, when several male actors needed to have special make-up - including malaria - for <i>South Pacific</i>, it actually was safer to have me help them out in the crowded dressing room than hand it off to the randy, giggling, star-struck tween girls. There was a <i>lot</i> of communication with parents: bringing them backstage, bringing them into the process. Transparency was key. Being an example was key. As was one more element, because as the saying goes...<br />
<br />
<b>It Takes a Village</b><br />
<br />
Ultimately, if you want to change the culture, you need to be the example you want to see in the culture. Without saying a word, or shaming me, or making me feel like a legal threat to them, my male mentors invited me not into their private dressing rooms, or offices, or what not...instead, they truly invited me into their lives. They invited me into their society, and let me have a place at the table. There was safety, because their own lives were full of family, colleagues, and interesting people full of interesting ideas.<br />
<br />
This wasn't Mike Pence's pejorative rule that promotes an "old boy's network," but instead these good men exampled right relation and community. They expected me to be able to hold my own as a student among adults. They lived lives that had nothing to hide and could be examined. They may not have asked a village to raise me but instead they gave me a world. All without saying a word. No mansplaining to be found. (Although a <i>lot</i> of Socratic questioning!)<br />
<br />
As news keeps pouring out, as it did during the priest scandals, of men abusing their positions of power, of pedophilia and assault, of mentors like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/theater/israel-horovitz-sexual-misconduct.html">Israel Horovitz</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/eight-women-say-charlie-rose-sexually-harassed-them--with-nudity-groping-and-lewd-calls/2017/11/20/9b168de8-caec-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tidr=a_breakingnews&utm_term=.a72532351393">Charlie Rose</a>, and <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-dustin-hoffman-accuser-claims-harassment-physical-violation-broadway-guest-column-1062349">Dustin Hoffman</a> abusing the very women they were ostensibly raising up, my heart is filled not only with anger but with blind rage. As I find "good men" tsking and supporting the other side of misogyny that is the <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/453852/mike-pence-marriage-rules-make-workplace-professional">Mike Pence rule</a> which has kept me from many a job myself, I find myself scowling and hating and unhelpfully <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa_QtMf6alU">generalizing about men</a>.<br />
<br />
Therefore, I write this all to remind me, to paraphrase Samwise Gamgee, that <b>there <i>are</i> good men in this world, and they're worth fighting for.</b> But even more, I think they're worth raising: in spirits, in expectation, in accountability, in kindness.<br />
<br />
<b>And Blogs To Go Before I Sleep</b> <br />
<br />
I have considerably more to write about this topic of toxic masculinity. And I will be writing it in the days to come. But I wanted to begin with what we're <i>aiming</i> for, rather than what we're destroying. Because any revolution - be it sexual or civil - is no good, since it must inevitably <i>revolve </i>to where the mess began. But to work <i>towards</i> something, to know what you're fighting <i>for</i>: that is the way to do some good in this world. And by God, I think it's worth doing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>UP NEXT: </b><a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/whats-so-toxic-about-masculinity-anyway.html">Defining "Toxic Masculinity"</a><br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
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<br />
<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-23089802900843704172017-12-14T23:38:00.000-08:002017-12-15T00:08:47.682-08:00It Ain't Over 'Til the Thin Lady Sings<div style="text-align: center;">
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All my life, I've wanted to be thin.<br />
<br />
There, I've said it.<br />
<br />
I've hated my love handles, my double chin, my stomach.<br />
<br />
No
matter if anyone told me I was pretty (which, by the way, wasn't often -
or if it was often, I couldn't hear it), I had difficulty believing
that I was <i>allowed</i> to be <i>visible</i>. I've <a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/10/natasha-weight-loss-and-disney-princess.html">blogged</a> about this before, and I'm sure I'll blog about it again, but it was "<a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-room-full-of-apathy-being-sexually.html">safer</a>" for me to be fat. Not just from the vagaries of the world, but also from myself.<br />
<br />
There's a wonderful line from Jane Austen's <i>Mansfield Park</i>: “You must really begin to harden yourself to the idea of being worth looking at.” (<a href="http://www.literaturepage.com/read.php?titleid=mansfieldpark&abspage=176&bookmark=1">Chapter XXI</a>) <br />
<br />
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One
of the things that I've been working through in this year of thinning
down is how I've pursued socially acceptable ways of being invisible -
of teaching, writing, directing - all good, even great things.<br />
<br />
But all "unhardened" to the idea of worth being looked at.<br />
<br />
So as I was clearing out my iPhone, I was interested to run across a
video from October 2016, which you can see interspersed with Emily
December 2017 below. For context, at that time I was at my peak of
weight gain, being some two years out from the break up and in the
middle of a disastrous run of a show which still involved the ex.
(Never let it be said that I passed up an opportunity to make a poor
decision!)<br />
<br />
Having been systematically beaten down and made little through a few
outside influences, including that mentioned above, while also being
emotionally manipulated by a business partner, and just New York City
being...well, New York City, I wasn't in the most awesome of places. As
you can see in the video, I'm flitting around quickly as though "if I
go fast enough, you won't have time to criticize me." You can hear it
in the greater fluttering of my singing voice, let alone how <i>high</i> and nervous my speaking voice is. <br />
<br />
In
fact, about the only thing I miss about Emily of October 2016 is my
hair. (Your hair thins out along with your body for a time after
surgery. Please God, the former's coming back.) <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OGctr0_XkAE" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Yet this video is important, because it was also just a week or two before I made the decision to alter my life forever. It was a week or two before the play with the ex stopped, and I was finally able to excise him from my life. It was maybe a month or two before I removed the unhelpful professional influence. And it was just four weeks before I decided to bite the bullet, jump through every hoop, cross every T and dot every I, get all the blood drawn from my body, visit every doctor, submit to every test, change my eating habits and get my <i><a href="http://emilycasnyder.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-memory-of-roses-allegory-of.html">damn life under control</a>, dear God help me, </i>AMEN!<br />
<br />
Among the other changes, in January 2017, after receiving <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_palmer_the_art_of_asking"><i>The Art of Asking</i></a> by Amanda Palmer from my dear friend (who's mentioned in the footage above, and who used to accompany my operatic singing in high school...so long as she could rename all the French music with silly titles), I began a <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon page</a>. Another dear friend immediately signed up for Monthly Music, which was more than a little terrifying since it meant that I must, at least periodically, <i>be seen</i>. (You can check out the playlist of me singing on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N94BYJOIzEI&list=PL0JhqQC6lmdGvkmFbnRdU3e9BmDfuOH97">YouTube</a>, and then access considerably more <a href="https://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder/posts?tag=Music">secret videos</a> over on Patreon.)<br />
<br />
I never released the above video from October 2016. And to my chagrin, I've destroyed a few of older videos since. But there's something about <a href="http://www.instagram.com/emilycasnyder">literally facing yourself</a>, and so I've recorded Emily of December 2017 singing the same song to see not only how my body but how my <i>soul</i> is a year later.<br />
<br />
What I see, at least as far as one can see anything, is that I'm certainly more <i>at peace</i>. More calm, more collected, more willing to make a mistake and roll with it. My voice has a straighter and less quavery tone. I'm not rushing. I'm better at being seen. I'm not <i>constantly running away</i>, at least as much, anymore. It's still nice to see my face, my clavicles, <i>myself</i> emerge. I feel like I'm looking, and being, more like myself.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QkESI1g9MB9z3ckiejmj7X7oTMZl7xoJorgSvTBdir6xcckSXQKv_ugK3b2rzEPiJ1XIMl0i-MpT0shVtsn5MKSir__mxMdYYsxczZLSmAPkCTh_iJx80HSWOVG7Zd5Ih5-ISc7Hv2Y7/s1600/Hamlet+Skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="460" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QkESI1g9MB9z3ckiejmj7X7oTMZl7xoJorgSvTBdir6xcckSXQKv_ugK3b2rzEPiJ1XIMl0i-MpT0shVtsn5MKSir__mxMdYYsxczZLSmAPkCTh_iJx80HSWOVG7Zd5Ih5-ISc7Hv2Y7/s320/Hamlet+Skull.jpg" width="320" /></a>Which is the whole purpose to life, isn't it?<br />
<br />
That's what <i>vocation</i> is: called to be the fullness of yourself. Not just who you should marry, or what lucrative job you should pursue, which all may factor into the <a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/mary-david-and-the-theo-drama/5022/">theodrama</a>, but which are only tools towards vocation, not vocation itself. Rather, we are each called to true humility: which is to see yourself, and to let yourself be seen. Both those parts of you that still need work, and those parts of you that shine. To be without apology for either. As a certain skull carrying Dane might say: "To be."<br />
<br />
I am still learning this. I suspect I shall be learning this my whole life, if the saints are any guide. But considering that I've plateaued at present with my weight loss, considering that it can be easy to forget who you were or where you've come from in the desire to leave past trauma behind, I thought it might be worth not only to stop running, but to stop running from myself.<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
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<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185981802863699688.post-23517106015185363322017-12-11T00:57:00.001-08:002017-12-15T01:09:17.464-08:00The Merry WIDOWS of Windsor: Rewriting Shakespeare in the Light of #MeToo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing <a href="http://hamletisntdead.com/">Hamlet Isn't Dead's</a> production of <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/FBEVENT/3099284"><i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i></a>.<br />
<br />
(You can read the full review on my <a href="http://www.emilycasnyder.info/classical-nyc">Classical NYC</a> blog <a href="http://www.emilycasnyder.info/classical-nyc/have-yourself-a-merry-little-windsor">here</a>.)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>I was looking forward to the production for several reasons:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Merry Wives</i> is a terrible play. But the HIDiots put on lively, comical takes of Shakespeare's plays. Add in an ugly sweater competition to the final scene, and you've got a hit.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Because the play isn't very good, it's rarely performed. In fact, the last production I saw, featuring an ex in a minor role, was...pretty awful. (He was ok. But, like, <i>still</i>...) </li>
</ul>
Therefore:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I was primarily excited to see a new take on <i>Merry Wives</i>, because I'm in the middle of writing the sequel, <i>The Merry Widows of Windsor</i>.</li>
</ul>
<b>A Call for FanFiction...er...Shakespeare's New Contemporaries</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Why am I writing a sequel to <i>Merry Wives</i>? Well, if you haven't heard yet, the <a href="http://americanshakespearecenter.com/">American Shakespeare Center</a> is funding a new play development program called <a href="http://www.sncproject.com/">Shakespeare's New Contemporaries</a>.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
The project aims to develop and produce the world premieres of 38 new plays which would be in conversation with Shakespeare's canon. Ideally, I would imagine, the plays would be more overtly connected, like <i>Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead</i>, than loosely or thematically connected, such as one might argue that <i>Caspar the Friendly Ghost</i> is in conversation with <i>Hamlet</i> because...um...ghosts.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMM8NF3KdnNOfbm93qe9j43qWY0-SRvs3i2aOhUMTObw3L_RRLh7ZGu6tlRN7K6ztdcesHoPIL6LhUMbUzbuIW78GTTun1qnSSgsh1HY58D_R-Hiadl8bE3zHkxyDgfAgSatNbvEVU9M8/s1600/comedyofheirors-166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMM8NF3KdnNOfbm93qe9j43qWY0-SRvs3i2aOhUMTObw3L_RRLh7ZGu6tlRN7K6ztdcesHoPIL6LhUMbUzbuIW78GTTun1qnSSgsh1HY58D_R-Hiadl8bE3zHkxyDgfAgSatNbvEVU9M8/s320/comedyofheirors-166.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malvolio (Elliot Nesterman) comforts himself <br />
with a certain yellow stocking!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With this in mind, I've already taken the opportunity to write and have a staged reading of my <i>Comedy of Heirors</i>, which has twice the twins, twice the women, and Malvolio running after everyone. It went over very well with a wonderful cast, willing to tackle the complicated plot, Shakespearean Easter eggs, and even adding in things like a yellow stocking as a security blanket.<br />
<br />
While writing the piece, I was highly aware that in the original <i>Comedy of Errors</i>, even the "good" Antipholus twin treats his servant despicably. And that we're asked to laugh at this behavior. In writing the female version of that, I was more interested in the friendships that can exist between women, even of different classes. Thus, much of the conflict between the Glorielles and the Dromias doesn't arise from their cruelty, but from their desire to do good for the other...<i>whether they like it or not</i>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUsM3fpjK_nbkdG7CzuV21MOWLE-bsqcKSDyC7CbY5ynRWQQvehw2yVebKu7kO0jz9vnDK45MNU8yL3jxKqVFa_H1zKMwuoggfvKTL5c8F5p3pEOaQk8Yz5JPWVOa21sEAjij4wybEv4E/s1600/comedyofheirors-422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUsM3fpjK_nbkdG7CzuV21MOWLE-bsqcKSDyC7CbY5ynRWQQvehw2yVebKu7kO0jz9vnDK45MNU8yL3jxKqVFa_H1zKMwuoggfvKTL5c8F5p3pEOaQk8Yz5JPWVOa21sEAjij4wybEv4E/s320/comedyofheirors-422.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Dromia of Syracuse (Cecily Benjamin Hughes) <br />
mistakes Glorielle of Ephesus (Erin Keskeny) for her servant <br />
<i>The Comedy of Heirors, </i>staged reading<br />
produced by <a href="http://www.turntoflesh.org/">TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was also interested in giving the straying Antipholus of Ephesus his actual comeuppance. The women in <i>A Comedy of Errors</i> are problematic to say the least. In fact, most roles written for women depend utterly upon their relation to men. So it was lovely to write a multitude of female starring roles: the ninja-fighting nun, the ambitious servant, the swashbuckling romantic, and the melodramatic "other woman" who needs to be rescued from herself among others.<br />
<br />
So now, I'm turning my attentions to rectifying the women of <i>Merry Wives</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Comedy is Merely Tragedy Happening to Someone Else</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5zHpXWgyb_5o3ZeaGX8Z0WNT8eE7WV-4Q1jpU6noGdTpx3eDPdwl5uDZycfVYYBoErklXXgNCwpaXTwUehxWity7U8ORac4ml8T1mEWRHAY_DPgVV2fJKd_CIZG9F0RUWLSVwEZk7DRj/s1600/merry-wives-of-windsor-new-shakespeare-company-1984-166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="515" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5zHpXWgyb_5o3ZeaGX8Z0WNT8eE7WV-4Q1jpU6noGdTpx3eDPdwl5uDZycfVYYBoErklXXgNCwpaXTwUehxWity7U8ORac4ml8T1mEWRHAY_DPgVV2fJKd_CIZG9F0RUWLSVwEZk7DRj/s320/merry-wives-of-windsor-new-shakespeare-company-1984-166.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Fiction:</b><br />
The male gaze towards sexual misconduct<br />
<i>Merry Wives of Windsor, </i>New Shakespeare Company, 1984</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of my major issues with <i>Merry Wives</i> are the wives themselves. I have now seen the show a handful of times and, except that I'm writing the characters now, I can <i>never ever ever</i> tell Mistress Ford and Mistress Page apart. They have first names, but no one ever uses them. And their last names are almost interchangeable. About the only difference is who's attached to them: one has a jealous husband, one has a few children. In personality, on the page at any rate, either woman could say either of their lines and there would be no difference in rhythm or "voice" between them.<br />
<b> </b><br />
What's more, let's look at the plot of the play. Especially in light of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/metoo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag">#metoo</a> movement. Fat, old, disgusting, lecherous Falstaff comes to town and immediately starts hitting on two married women. They laugh it off, especially once they realize he's essentially sent them the same "U up?" text message. Together, they devise a way to humiliate him. Except that Mistress Ford's husband decides to believe that his wife is cuckolding him and goes to great lengths to trip up his wife and catch her cheating on him. In the end, Falstaff is humiliated, ends with a poor rhyme about the Fords having sex, and all is...forgiven?<br />
<br />
No. No, not really. No.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVVB2O7depR0LuZUsQbgtx5wiW8Wdt-qE0cYLDqueWFoGo1elTQK3Op9qaDV-TPKOqEccOCiErVa4cYJj17pKznkGZ-0I9WGcfsE7Me_tl18MdNbPyuXLDtgV9FvA9LyjLp-0ddNspAFh/s1600/weinstein-640x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVVB2O7depR0LuZUsQbgtx5wiW8Wdt-qE0cYLDqueWFoGo1elTQK3Op9qaDV-TPKOqEccOCiErVa4cYJj17pKznkGZ-0I9WGcfsE7Me_tl18MdNbPyuXLDtgV9FvA9LyjLp-0ddNspAFh/s320/weinstein-640x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Reality:</b>Weinstein winning an Oscar for <i>Shakespeare in Love.</i><br />
Gwyneth Paltrow has since come forward<br />
to accuse Weinstein of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/us/gwyneth-paltrow-angelina-jolie-harvey-weinstein.html">grave sexual misconduct</a><br />
<i></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A lech comes to town and harasses two married women. We're supposed to laugh. A husband goes <i>bananas</i> certain that his wife is cheating on him, and sets up means to humiliate her. We're not supposed to worry about what their marriage is like behind closed doors? It might be funny, if sexual harassment were funny. It might be funny, if marital misogyny were funny.<br />
<br />
And to be fair, in production the play <i>is</i> mostly funny. The characters are ridiculous. There's a relief that Falstaff fails in his attempts to woo. The Merry Wives generally play everything as one big game and who cares who behaved like an idiot? It's all fun and games and freeze framing for the end of the sitcom.<br />
<br />
But that's the male gaze of the situation. Everything's all right because Falstaff didn't sleep with Mistress Ford. But everything's <i>not</i> all right, because Falstaff tried that to begin with, and far from protecting his wife, Francis Ford blames his wife immediately. Tale as old as time...<br />
<br />
But that's why we have modern playwrights, right?<br />
<br />
<b>Smile, Though Your Heart is Breaking</b><br />
<br />
In considering writing a companion piece for <i>Merry Wives</i>, the most obvious title of <i>Merry Widows</i> sprang to mind. At first, I wondered if it ought to be <i>Arsenic and Old Lace</i>-like. And then poked about Lehár's <i>Merry Widow</i> operetta for inspiration. But eventually, I decided to just see what would happen if I killed off everybody's husband. Where does that leave Mistress Ford and Mistress Page? Sitcom logic tells us that both women will just be ready to go for the next handsome man who crosses their paths. But grieving doesn't work like that. And for that matter: would the women grieve in the same way? Mistress Ford with her maniacally jealous husband is likely <i>thrilled</i> to be free at last, while the family-oriented Mistress Page may be truly lost without her spouse.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUgTIx4Q-iAm8O2ZwPEYkHc7RyZCH26FiExRrfCK_9g2lsF0T-BbQw7MMWgzdsKcpgpM1KevfvjLV1cirmtkgYPXjs6YQNnmaedfHRl91ywYe4CIZ8O5ENO2DUNvVzHnQA0xIEwwzlL3s/s1600/Scarlet+O%2527Hara+Widow+2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="500" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUgTIx4Q-iAm8O2ZwPEYkHc7RyZCH26FiExRrfCK_9g2lsF0T-BbQw7MMWgzdsKcpgpM1KevfvjLV1cirmtkgYPXjs6YQNnmaedfHRl91ywYe4CIZ8O5ENO2DUNvVzHnQA0xIEwwzlL3s/s320/Scarlet+O%2527Hara+Widow+2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
And what does it mean to grieve? A few years ago, I went through a rather traumatic and sudden break-up which, while a far cry from a death, nevertheless left me with several years of an <i>ache</i> for one specific person. As time went by, and the proverbial scales fell from my eyes, I've had to deal with the difference between my memory of the man I loved, and the man he really was. How much do we grieve the person vs. the idea? How much do we love the idea over the person? And what does it mean to suddenly be an "I" after years thinking as "we?" How much does freedom hurt?<br />
<br />
That's not to say that my <i>Merry Widows of Windsor</i> won't still be a comedy. But it will be a comedy in <i>despite</i> of reality. So many of my girlfriends in dealing with various losses - of their spouses, their parents, their children - struggle with "how long" they grieve. There's a general idea, at least among women, that at some point we should simply be in charge of our emotions. There are things to do! There is life to live! We <i>should</i> be fine. Look: we are laughing, we are living, we are <i>fine</i>.<br />
<br />
And then grief comes up like an unexpected storm: conjured by standing in the supermarket and buying Grey Poupon. And there are regrets we mourn, too, even as we are glad to be autonomous. There's French farce to be found in the dehaunting of a house.<br />
<br />
<b>Looking at the Old Through the Lens of the New</b> <br />
<br />
I'm glad to have seen Hamlet Isn't Dead's <i>Merry Wives</i>, all the moreso since I hope that these two plays will work seamlessly together. It was vindicating to see their Mistress Ford slightly hesitant and smiling through her jealous husband's mania. Even vindicating to see the love between Mistress Page and her husband. Helpful to see that my instincts about Fenton, young Anne Page's successful paramour, being something of a rounder are thoroughly backed up by the text. (And after the hilarious turn of the <i>vaaaarhy Franch</i> Dr. Caius, he may make a reappearance in this text. We'll see!)<br />
<br />
I don't feel that I have a hold of Quickly, Bardolph, Nym and Pistol yet. That's fine. I'll just have to watch a lot of Shakespeare interpretations to get a better idea of them.<br />
<br />
But I can tell you with no hesitation that at least in <u>my</u> <i>Merry Widows</i>...Falstaff is dead.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
'Cuz, ladies, we don't need him.<br />
<br />
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<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
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<b>Want to support this blog? <br /><br />Become my patron on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilycasnyder">Patreon</a>!</b>Emily C. A. Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559973015028267709noreply@blogger.com2